


The Winchester School for Hunters

by didntwanderstillgotlost



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Dean Winchester Being an Asshole, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Friends trying to help, Idiots in Love, Like Ridiculously Slow, M/M, Sam and Dean run a school for hunters, Seriously almost everyone smokes, Smoking, Teacher!Dean, but only in the beginning, slowburn, teacher!Cas, teacher!sam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:34:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 42
Words: 50,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26128093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/didntwanderstillgotlost/pseuds/didntwanderstillgotlost
Summary: Ten years ago, Sam and Dean opened the Winchester School for Hunters. Dean didn't want to give up his life on the road, but he's glad he did. He and Sam are still helping people and he likes sleeping in his own bed every night.Cas has wanted to get out of hunting for a while, but he still wants to feel like he's helping people. He also wants to do something with the ridiculous amount of angel knowledge he has. He's doing research for a case when he stumbles on a job opening at the Winchester School for Hunters.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 150
Kudos: 181





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! So this idea has been bugging me for a while. I always liked the idea of Sam and Dean running a school for hunters. I feel like they'd be good at it. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

Dean sighed and tossed his pen onto the never-ending stack of applications. It was nearing midnight and he still had three positions to fill before school started in two weeks. Sam had offered to help, but he had enough on his plate; creating class schedules, getting presentations ready for orientation next week, and making sure all the classrooms were student ready. Dean rubbed his eyes and poured himself a glass of whiskey. A knock on the door almost startled the glass out of his hand.

“Someone’s jumpy.”

“Shut up.”

“Snippy, too.”

“What do you want, Sam?” Sam smirked and held up a cigarette.

“Though you could use a break.” Dean had to smile at that.

“God, yes.” They navigated the halls and went outside through the garage. They both lit up and Dean exhaled some smoke on a long, contented sigh. “Man, I needed this.”

“I figured. You seemed stressed.”

“Just a lot to do before the new year starts. We’ve got two months and I’m still going through teacher applications.”

“Oh, speaking of that, I meant to tell you I set up an interview for tomorrow. Novak. I forget his first name. He said he specializes in angel lore.” Dean raised an eyebrow.

“Angel lore?” Sam shrugged.

“Might be useful.” Dean considered that. They had tangled with angels once or twice, but it had never occurred to him to have a professor dedicated to them as a topic. He figured Sam could cover them in his lore class.

“Maybe. Who’d you tell him to talk to?”

“Me. I figured I’d give him a cursory interview, then send him to you for final approval.” Dean nodded.

“All right.” He rubbed his eyes. “I’m gonna sleep like the dead tonight.”

“If you sleep.” Dean groaned.

“Why do you do that, huh?” Sam shrugged.

“It’s not my fault you work yourself to death. I kinda thought that would change when we quit hunting, but I guess I was wrong.” Dean would never admit it, but he had kind of thought that, too. He hadn’t been expecting teaching and running a school to be so hard. He didn’t regret it, though. He loved his kids. He loved that he was making the world a better place by training the next generations of hunters. What he didn’t love was spending all night going over applications for new teachers. They needed help, but he was tired.

“Yeah, well, I’m good at what I do.”

“Never said you weren’t.” Sam stubbed out his cigarette and clapped him on the shoulder. “Try to get some sleep.” He went back inside and Dean took out his phone. He had about fifteen missed calls and over three dozen unread text messages. He really needed to be better about checking his phone, he just didn’t have the time lately. Between trying to hire new teachers before the year started, making class schedules, preparing for freshman orientation next month, and general upkeep around the school, he barely had time to talk to Sam, never mind do anything else.

Dean answered the texts that he deemed important while he was still outside. Most of them were from the rest of the staff, asking about schedules, so those were easy to answer. A few were from Adam, which he would answer when he had more than just a few minutes. The rest of the messages were random things he could deal with later. He put out his cigarette and went back inside. He woke up his laptop and started sifting through his backlog of emails.

*** *** ***

Dean fell asleep at his desk that night. He was startled awake by someone knocking on his door. He lifted his head and groaned. He wasn’t as young as he used to be, and sleeping all hunched over like that had done a number on his neck and back. He yawned, stretched, popped his joints, then said,

“Come in.” The door opened slowly. A man in a suit and a trench coat came in. His dark hair was disastrous and his bright blue eyes were wild. Dean leaned back in his chair. “Can I help you?”

“Dean Winchester?”

“Yes.” The man held out his hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Winchester. Or do you prefer Professor Winchester?” Dean smirked as he shook the man’s hand.

“You can call me Dean.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dean. My name is Castiel Novak. I’m here about the job.” Right. Sam had told him he scheduled an interview, but he never told him what time.

“Right, yeah. Have a seat.” Castiel sat in the big arm chair on the other side of Dean’s desk. Dean opened his email and found one from Sam with the subject ‘Applicant’. He clicked on it and quickly read over Castiel’s résumé. It wasn’t overly impressive, but it was adequate. “So, how’d you get into hunting? I mean, everyone knows what’s out there, but most people don’t tangle with it, so how’d you get involved?”

“Is giving a backstory required?” Castiel asked, tilting his head.

“Not at all. I was just curious. So, Sam told me you specialize in angel lore.”

“Yes. I’ve studied angels my whole life, but I never quite knew what to do with all the information I have. I thought it might be beneficial for your students to know more about them, since there aren’t very many people who know that much.” Dean nodded thoughtfully. He really wasn’t completely onboard with hiring someone to exclusively teach angel lore, but even with all the research Sam had done, there was still a lot they didn’t know and angels were dangerous.

“I’ll be honest, I was hoping for someone with more general knowledge to take on some of the intro classes for our freshmen, but…you seem competent enough. If you’re willing to teach a few intro classes, we can get an angel lore class added to the Spring semester. We can sign you to a one-year contract, just to see how things go. If it works out, we’ll give you the standard four-year contract.” Dean sifted through the papers on his desk. Sam had dropped off a few blank contracts a couple weeks ago, but he had forgotten to put them away before he got inundated with applications. “Ah, here. This is the standard one-year contract. You have a week to decide.” Castiel accepted the contract and stood. He held out his hand again.

“Thank you for your time, Mr. Winchester. I’ll be in touch.”

“We look forward to hearing from you, Mr. Novak.” Castiel left the office and Dean looked down at his still ominous stack of applications. He sighed and went in search of coffee. He ran into Sam in the kitchen.

“What’d you think?”

“Seems like he’d be a good fit,” Dean said, pouring himself a large cup of coffee. “I offered him a one-year contract. I gave him a week to think about it and he said he’d be in touch, so I’ve got a good feeling.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost 1am here, which means it's Wednesday! I'm updating early because I have to go to work for most of the day and I figured you guys would prefer this sooner rather than later. Enjoy!

Castiel hung his trench coat by the door, dropped his suit jacket on the back of one of the kitchen chairs, poured himself a glass of wine, and sat on the couch to review the contract he’d been given. He was very lucky they were even considering hiring him at all. The Winchester School for Hunters was very hard to get into, for both students and staff. They were the best of the best, but they were also a family and Castiel couldn’t think of any other place he’d rather work. He looked over the contract Dean Winchester had given him. It was about what he had expected. He had known before he even left the office that he was going to sign it, but he still wanted to read it first.

His interview with Sam Winchester had gone well. The younger Winchester was kind. He had the kind of personality that offered compassion without demanding explanation. Castiel had given a brief summary of how he’d gotten into hunting in his résumé, but he hadn’t gone into detail. It wasn’t a story he liked to share. Sam hadn’t even brought it up. He was more interested in Castiel’s chosen field of expertise. The interview had been short and professional.

Dean Winchester was something else entirely. He had “bad boy everyone’s mother warned them about” written all over him. He seemed nice enough, but there was something about him that Castiel didn’t like. He couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but Dean seemed cocky and arrogant. Castiel would be polite, though, because he needed this job. He was on the second to last page of the contract when his phone pinged. He glanced at the screen.

**Gabriel [6:24pm]:** ???

**Castiel [6:25pm]:** One-year contract. I have a week to decide.

**Gabriel [6:25pm]:** You’re gonna take it right??

**Castiel [6:26pm]:** Yes

**Gabriel [6:27pm]:** Good

Castiel finished reading the contract, signed the last page, and sighed. He never should’ve told Gabriel he was applying. Now he was being hounded for information every single day. Castiel had met Gabriel and his cousin Balthazar shortly after he first got into hunting. They had been working as a team ever since. Until Castiel decided to go the academic route, that is. Gabriel was one hundred percent supportive. Balthazar was hovering somewhere around four percent.

**Gabriel [6:30pm]:** Keep me updated!

**Castiel [6:31pm]:** Sure. Stay safe

Gabriel and Balthazar were currently on the other side of the country, working a rugaru case somewhere in Rhode Island. It was the first time in a while that they’d gone on a hunt without Castiel, but he wanted to stay in Kansas until he heard about the job. Now it looked like he was staying for at least another year. He looked over the contract again. He didn’t mind teaching a few other introductory classes if it meant he got to teach the thing he was really passionate about.

Castiel had been studying angels since he was old enough to read. Everyone always told him he had the name and the face of an angel, so it only seemed right to him that he learn everything he could about them. He read everything he could get his hands on, including a few books he “borrowed” from some less-than-reputable sources. He was considered the top expert in his field by...well, Gabriel and Balthazar, but he was willing to bet his entire savings account (all $15.81 of it) that his knowledge well surpassed anyone in any of the hunter circles.

Castiel set the contract down on the coffee table and poured himself another glass of wine. He would go back on Friday and tell them he was taking the job. That was three days. Not too quick to make him seem overeager, but not so long that seemed like he wasn’t interested. Castiel liked balance. Everything in his life came down to that. The Winchester School for Hunters would either be the perfect balance he needed, or send him into a spiral of chaos. Either way, he needed the job and he wanted to put his knowledge to good use.

*** *** ***

On Friday, Castiel pulled up in front of the school. He knew there was a garage underneath for students and staff to park, but he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to do that yet, and he didn’t want to screw up before he was even officially hired. He sat in his car for a minute, collecting himself, before he got out and walked towards the admissions office. Just like last time, the brunette behind the front desk smiled at him, only this time she addressed him by name.

“Hi, Mr. Novak! Mr. Winchester is in his office.”

“Thank you, Lisa.” He was thankful that Sam Winchester’s office was easy to find. He would’ve hated having to ask for directions again. He knocked lightly on the door and waited.

“Come in.” He opened the door. Just like Tuesday, Sam was sitting behind his desk, pouring over papers. He smiled when Castiel walked in. “Hey, Castiel. Guess this means you want the job?”

“Yes. I read over the contract your brother gave me and signed where I needed to.” Castiel handed over the document. Sam grinned.

“Great! I’ll have Lisa give this to Dean for final processing and then I’ll give you a tour. Follow me.” Castiel followed Sam quietly back down the hall. He dropped the contract off with Lisa, then started talking a mile a minute. “All right, so that’s the admissions office, but you knew that, and you know where my and Dean’s offices are. So, we’ve got the school kinda divided by...subject, I guess. This building is for offices, the cafeteria, the library, and a few study rooms for kids who need absolute silence. We’ve got one building for your typical school stuff, math, science, history, and all that. Then there’s a building for what Dean likes to call hunter history. That’s where we teach about all the famous people who were either hunters or monsters. Then there’s the lore building. That’s where most of your classes will be. I teach general lore and then we’ve got specific classes for demons, vamps, and wolves.”

“Why only those three?” Castiel asked.

“Because we have friends who belong to those groups. We figure there’s no better way to learn about a monster than to be taught by one.” Castiel swallowed and Sam must have noticed because he said, “Not all monsters are monsters, if that makes sense. If you wanna work here, you’re gonna need an open mind.” Castiel nodded and Sam continued. “The next building is for combat stuff. That’s basically Dean’s turf. He teaches most of the fighting and weapons classes. And last we have the magic building. Some of our kids are interested in witchcraft and we know a few witches, so we figured we’d offer the option. Rowena runs that building. They’re on our payroll, but they kinda do their own thing over there.”

“What’s that building?” Castiel pointed to the only building Sam hadn’t given a name to.

“Ah. Student housing. Some of our kids lost their families or don’t like their families or just want the full college experience, so they stay here.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Any other questions?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Okay then. In that case, I’m gonna send you to Dean to go over the contract one more time and then he’ll give you an office and your class schedule for next year.” Castiel followed Sam back to the main building. “Do you remember where Dean’s office is?” Castiel thought back for a minute before shaking his head.

“I’m sorry, I don’t.”

“It’s fine. His is a little harder to find than mine. Down the hall, two rights, two lefts, another right, and it’s the third door on the left. His name is in the door.”

“Thank you.” Castiel shook Sam’s hand before wandering down the hall to find Dean Winchester’s office.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's something fun. My store got shut down because the company filed for bankruptcy so next week I get to move to a new store with new people. I hate this, and I'm also the only person at my store who still has a job so, like, fuck this. Anyway, I have to be there all day to help clean it out, so I'm updating before I go to bed. Enjoy!

Dean looked up when someone knocked lightly on his open door. He smiled.

“Hey, Lise.”

“Hi, Dean. Sam sent me to give you this.” She dropped a contract on his desk. Dean looked it over.

“Thanks.”

“Mr. Novak seems nice.” Lisa was clearly settling in for a conversation. Dean hummed noncommittally. He hadn’t gotten enough time to really get a read on Cas...whatever his name was. As long as he did his job and did it well, there wouldn’t be any problems. At this point, he was just desperate for another professor so he could take a break every once in a while. Sam was, too.

“Did you need anything else, Lisa?” Lisa’s face fell a little and he felt bad, but he didn’t have time to make small talk with someone.

“Guess not. I’ll see ya, Dean.” She left and Dean took a more thorough look at the contract. Everything was in order, so he filed it away, got everything into the computer, then got to work on a rough schedule. He was tweaking some minor things on his own schedule for the upcoming year when another knock came at his door. He looked up.

“Hey. Guess Sammy’s done giving you the tour. Have a seat.” Novak sat in the same chair he had three days ago and waited. “All right. I looked over the contract. Everything looks good so once you get settled we’ll fine tune it to fit you a little better. For right now, I’ve added your class to the spring semester. I also listed you for a few of the intro to lore classes. Sam’s been taking on too many and he needs the help. Provided there’s enough interest in your class, this is a rough schedule I made for you. If you need anything changed, let me know by the end of next week. We try to accommodate both students and staff here. Any questions?”

“No.” Dean raised an eyebrow.

“You sure? Don’t be afraid to ask. Even if you think it’s stupid, it’s better to ask and be sure than not ask and fuck up.” Dean waited. Novak seemed to be contemplating something.

“I don’t have any questions right now, Mr. Winchester.”

“I told you to call me Dean. I hate “Mr. Winchester”. It makes me feel old.”

“Right. I’m sorry, Dean.” Dean waved him off.

“It’s fine. My students do it too. While we’re on the subject, what do you prefer to be called, just so I know?”

“Castiel is fine.” Dean mentally snapped his fingers. He knew it started with “Cas”. He scribbled the name down in the margin of his desk calendar so he wouldn’t forget then stood up. “All right. Time to find you an office. We’ve got two that are fit for people at the moment. One is right next door, the other is next to Sam’s. You can look at both and take your pick.”

“I think I’d like the one next to Sam’s,” Castiel said. “No offense, but I think I’d get lost if my office were down here.” Dean laughed.

“Fair enough. Get yourself settled and then head to the kitchen. Benny should be whipping up lunch in a few minutes.”

“Thank you, Dean.” The man was overly polite, Dean noticed. He wondered if that was how Castiel was all the time, or if he was just trying to make a good impression. The only way to really know was to observe him over the next month or so. Dean made a mental note to do that as he walked into the kitchen. Benny was standing at the stove.

“Hey, brotha! So when do I get to meet the new guy?”

“He should be down soon. I think.” Benny looked away from the grill for a minute.

“Are we not getting along with the new guy?” Dean shrugged.

“I don’t necessarily have a problem with him, he’s just…odd. I’m sure I’ll get used to him.” He accepted the plate Benny handed him.

“Open mind, Dean.”

“I know.” Having an open mind was rule number one at the school. Most people, especially hunters, were raised that all monsters were evil. Dean knew better, and he and Sam wanted to teach their kids that not all monsters were monsters. Benny was one of them. “Maybe you can get a read on him when he comes in for lunch.” Dean prided himself on being able to read people, but he was willing to admit that Benny was better at it.

“Sure.”

“Thanks.” Dean smiled before heading to the teachers’ lounge. During the school year he liked to eat with his students, but school didn’t start for another two weeks. As soon as he opened the door, he was tackled in a hug that almost made him drop his plate.

“Dean, I missed you!” He rolled his eyes, smiled, and gave Charlie a one-armed hug.

“I missed you, too, kiddo, but if my burger ends up on the floor I  _ will _ kill you.”

“Yeah, yeah. Come on.” She dragged him over to the only table with people.

“Hi, Dean.”

“Hey, Kev. How was…I wanna say Argentina?”

“Good. I got the research I needed and I picked up a couple cases.”

“Good. Meg, how was your vacation?”

“Could’ve been better. When do we get to meet the new guy?”

“How come you guys weren’t this excited the last time we got a new teacher?” Dean asked, biting into his burger.

“Because it’s been a long time since we hired a new male teacher,” Meg said. “I’m running out of options here, guys.” Dean rolled his eyes.

“Whatever, Meg. Just let him get adjusted to us before you do anything weird.”

“Can’t make any promises.”

“How do you even know he’s straight?” Charlie asked. “Some people  _ are _ gay, Meg. Or bi. Or pan. Or—.”

“I got it,” Meg interrupted, “You don’t need to go through the list. We’ll be here all day.” Charlie grinned and went back to eating her pasta salad.

“What was your read on him, Dean?” Dean shrugged.

“I wasn’t really looking for that. I was just making sure he’d be a good fit here.”

“Come on. Nothing? Your bi-fi didn’t go off at all?”

“I really wish you’d stop calling it that. And no, it didn’t, but that doesn’t mean anything. Like I said, I wasn’t really paying that much attention.”

“Maybe I’ll pick on something,” Charlie said.

“Maybe you should all stop speculating about a total stranger’s sexuality and just be normal,” Kevin said.

“Good idea,” Dean agreed. He really didn’t care anyway. All he cared about was whether or not…damn it. He really needed to write the guy’s name on his hand or something. All he cared about was whether or not Novak was a good teacher.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bi-fi: What my friend's bi college roommate called her gaydar. I thought it was funny and clever and I use it all the time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's an update before I go work a 6-hour shift on ZERO hours of sleep. Anxiety's a bitch. Anyway, enjoy!

Castiel looked around his empty office. He had plenty of things to fill it with, but he didn’t want to get too comfortable until he was sure he was staying. He set his laptop bag on the desk and sat in the chair. He was contemplating what he should do first when Sam poked his head in.

“Hey. You coming for lunch?”

“Oh. Yes.” Sam smiled a little.

“Dean didn’t show you where the kitchen is, did he?” Castiel shook his head. “Sorry about that. Dean gets a little…sidetracked when it comes to food. Come on, I’ll show you.” Castiel stood up and followed Sam down the maze of hallways.

“I might need a map,” he said and Sam laughed.

“Everyone feels that way when they first get here. By the time the fall semester starts you’ll know this place like the back of your hand, I promise.” Castiel followed Sam into the kitchen. There was one person standing at the stovetop grill. “Hey, Benny. This is Castiel. He’s gonna be starting here next year.”

“Nice to meet you,” Benny said, extending his hand. Castiel shook it.

“Nice to meet you, too.” Benny handed them both plates and Castiel followed Sam down another hallway.

“This is our teachers’ lounge. Some of the teachers eat lunch with the kids, but every once in a while we have lunch meetings in here. And sometimes we just need a break. Sam opened the door. There were four other people sitting at one of the tables, including Dean.

“Sam!” A redhead wearing a graphic t-shirt under a plaid shirt jumped up and hugged him. Sam grinned.

“Hey, Charlie. This is Castiel.”

“Hi! You must be the new teacher!” Castiel nodded. “You’re gonna love it here! Sam and Dean are the best!” Sam laughed.

“Charlie’s excitable.”

“Excuse me, I’m fun! Come on!” She grabbed Castiel’s hand and dragged him over to the table. “Guys, this is Castiel!”

“Yes, Charlie, we heard. I’m Kevin, and that’s Meg.”

“Nice to meet you,” Castiel said, trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice. He didn’t do well in social situations and Charlie was a bit much for him.

“Charlie, you’re making him nervous,” Meg said before addressing him. “You’ll get used to her. Sit.” Castiel sat beside Meg. Sam sat across from him. Charlie planted herself between Sam and Dean.

“So, where are you from?”

“Pontiac, Illinois.”

“Sounds dull. How’d you get into hunting?” Castiel immediately shut down. He stared at the food on his plate and didn’t say anything.

“Charlie, you know you can’t just ask people that,” Kevin snapped.

“It’s okay,” Castiel said. “It’s just not something I talk about.” Sam nodded.

“A lot of people here don’t, especially when they’re new. You’ll either get comfortable enough with us to tell us, or you won’t. It’s fine. You’re under no obligation.” Castiel smiled a little.

“Thanks, Sam.”

“We’re a family here. We take each other as is.”

“That being said,” Meg added, “Dean takes a little while to warm up to people sometimes. I’ve been here for six years and he still gives me that look sometimes.”

“Meg,” Dean said.

“What look?” Castiel asked.

“The Dean Winchester I-will-kill-you-in-your-sleep look,” Charlie said. “He doesn’t give to a lot of people around here, but you’ll know it when you see it. And if you do see it, run.”

“Charlie!” Dean snapped. “They’re kidding, man. I’m tough on new teachers, but it’s only because I wanna make sure they’ll be a good fit. You’ve got nothing to worry about.” Castiel chuckled awkwardly.

Throughout lunch, Charlie, Kevin, Meg, and Sam told Castiel stories about working at the school. Dean was oddly quiet, but he tried not to read too much into it. Maybe Dean just didn’t like talking to new people. Or maybe he was just trying to get a read on him. Either way, by the time they were going their separate ways, Castiel had decided he was definitely going to like it here.

“I have syllabi to work on and presentations to go over for Freshman orientation next week. You can hang out if you wanna get an idea of the material you’ll be teaching.” Castiel smiled.

“I’d like that. Thank you, Sam.”

“Sure. And hey. Everyone was just kidding about Dean. My brother acts tough, but he’s a teddy bear. He does take a little while to warm up to people sometimes, but he’s a good man.” Castiel caught the nostalgic expression on Sam’s face, but didn’t ask about it. They had just met, so it wasn’t his place. He nodded to be polite, but he really wasn’t sure how he felt about the older Winchester. When he’d gone into his office earlier, it looked like Dean was hungover. Or maybe he was just tired. Castiel was in no position to judge, but it seemed unprofessional. He felt his hand twitch and looked down. He bit his lip.

“Sam?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s your policy on smoking?” He hated asking because he knew how most people felt about his habit, but he needed to know if he would have to control his cravings while he was here. Sam grinned.

“We technically have a policy about not smoking during school hours, but Dean breaks that all the time. There’s a spot out back by the garage that we like to go. Just don’t do it in front of the kids. Dean says it’s a habit that comes with the job and I tend to agree, but we don’t wanna teach them bad habits.”

“That’s reasonable. Can you show me where?”

“Sure. I could use one before I have to deal with a mountain of paperwork.” Castiel chuckled and followed Sam through a few doors. He stopped short as he walked through the garage.

“Who’s car?” Sam stopped and turned around.

“Dean’s. He loves that car more than anything.” Castiel didn’t say anything as they continued walking, but he was thinking that Dean Winchester looked like the kind of man who would drive a muscle car that was older than he was. It further cemented the thought that he would be polite because he had to be, but they wouldn’t be friends. Sam led Castiel through a small side door that went outside.

“I’m definitely going to get lost.”

“Just give it some time,” Sam said, taking a lighter and a cigarette out of the pocket of his flannel. He lit up and breathed out some smoke. He studied his cigarette. “Dean’s probably gonna be pissed I did this without him.” Castiel took a drag on his own cigarette.

“Gets annoyed, does he?”

“Nah, it’s just that this is the only time we really have together anymore. When we were hunting we were together all the time, but since we opened the school, we don’t see each other much.”

“Not even over breaks?” Castiel asked.

“We have a little more time then, but we still have schedules to make and applications to look at and some of the kids stay during breaks so we have to look out for them.”

“Sounds like a lot of work.”

“It is, but it’s so worth it. We’re making a difference in the world, and I think that’s important.”

“It is,” Castiel agreed, “and I appreciate you giving me a job here.” Sam smiled.

“We believe that everyone deserves a chance. I know statistics say we’re one of the hardest hunter schools to get into, but really we’re not. We take a chance on everyone that seems like they’d be a good fit here.”

“Open mind,” Castiel remembered Sam saying.

“Exactly.” Sam stubbed out his cigarette. “Come on. I’ll show you some of the classrooms before I get to work.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, y'all, pretty sure I got myself sick from driving around with the windows down while it's cold outside. Oh well. It's 2am and I'm probably gonna call out of work later, so here's an update before I knock myself out with cold medication.

Dean waited until his class had cleared out before he made his way back to his office. He had two hours before his next class, which meant he had two hours to go through his emails and check in with Adam. He hadn’t heard from him in a week and he was starting to worry. He sat at his desk and pulled out his phone.

**Dean [12:13pm]:** Hey just checking in. Been a few days. You guys doin’ okay?

He wasn’t expecting a response any time soon, but his phone beeped a few minutes later.

**Adam [12:16pm]:** All good. Vamp nest. We’ll be back in a few days. How’s everything there?

**Dean [12:17pm]:** Good. Classes started up the beginning of this week. I hired a new teacher. We’re managing.

**Adam [12:19pm]:** Good. We can talk when I get back. Maybe grab a drink. And I can pick up a few classes for you guys if you need me to.

Dean smiled at his phone. He and Adam had gotten off to a rough start when they first met, but now he couldn’t imagine his life without his half-brother.

**Dean [12:21pm]:** Deal. Stay safe kid.

**Adam [12:21pm]:** You too

Dean set his phone on his desk and sifted through his email. Most of it was spam. He glanced at the clock. Sam was still in a class for the next hour. He shook his head and grabbed his cigarettes from his desk. He couldn’t wait. He went through the garage, pausing to run his hand along Baby’s hood, and pushed the door open. He was surprised to find Novak leaning against the wall, lips wrapped around a cigarette.

“Hello, Dean,” he said.

“Hey, Novak. Didn’t know you smoked.”

“Not exactly something I brag about.” Dean raised an eyebrow. Okay, so Novak wasn’t agonizingly polite all the time. Good to know.

“Me either.” He lit his cigarette and breathed out some smoke. “How’s your first week going?”

“Okay. Kids are…challenging.” Dean laughed a little.

“Yeah, but it’s worth it. We’re making the world a better place. I do miss hunting though.” Novak didn’t say anything. He took a long drag from his cigarette. Dean looked away before he stared too long. They hadn’t talked much since school started, but Charlie made sure to fill him in on everything during their customary after school cigarettes. From what he could gather, Charlie had a massive platonic crush on Novak (seriously, he had to write the guy’s name down until he could remember it) and she claimed she was getting a few vibes from her gaydar, but Dean didn’t see it. Then again, he hadn’t really had time to pay attention.

Objectively, Novak was attractive. Movie-star attractive, but there was still something about him that bothered Dean. He was…annoying. Maybe he just hadn’t spent enough time with him, but Dean got the feeling they would never completely get along.

“Have you been getting along with everyone okay?”

“Charlie and Meg have asked me to get drinks with them a few times and Kevin seems interested in picking my brain. Benny seems nice and Garth keeps showing me pictures of his kids.” Dean had to laugh.

“Yeah, Garth’s crazy about them. Can’t blame him. They’re cute kids. Charlie likes to drag all new people out for drinks. Meg tags along sometimes. Watch yourself around her. She’s a flirt.”

“I’m sure that won’t be an issue,” Novak said. He put out his cigarette. “I’ll see you around, Dean.” He was gone before Dean could say anything else. He watched him leave, telling himself that the weird feeling rolling around in his stomach was due to the fact that he hadn’t eaten since six that morning. He crushed his cigarette under his boot and wandered into the kitchen. Benny was pulling a pie out of the oven.

“I love you,” Dean said.

“Thanks, brotha, but I don’t swing that way.”

“I was talking to the pie.” Benny laughed.

“Of course you were. I’d offer you some, but it’s still hot.”

“I’m willing to burn my mouth.”

“Wait fifteen minutes and you can have some.” Dean pouted, but didn’t argue. Benny was in charge in the kitchen and he knew it. He took a beer out of the fridge and leaned against the counter. “Don’t you have a class to teach in an hour?”

“And? I’ll be fine, Benny. It’s hand-to-hand combat. Easy.”

“Don’t hurt anyone.”

“Please. I’d never intentionally hurt one of my students. I usually use Sam for my demonstrations. He’s used to me kicking his ass.”

“You haven’t kicked my ass in years, Dean,” Sam said from the kitchen doorway. Dean grinned.

“Only because I haven’t had a reason to. You gonna be my demonstration partner or not?”

“Yeah, but I can’t do it next week. I’ve got lesson plans to write.”

“That’s fine. Adam’ll be back by then. He can help. Have you talked to Novak?”

“Yeah. He seems to be adjusting well. I think Charlie’s coming on a little strong and I’m worried about Meg, but other than that…”

“Charlie always comes on strong. That’s her thing. As for Meg, Novak told me he doesn’t think that’ll be an issue, so I guess it’s not an issue.” Sam studied him for a minute.

“You don’t remember his name, do you?”

“It’s just so long.”

“It’s seven letters, Dean. Castiel.”

“I’m not gonna remember that. And we don’t know each other well enough for me to shorten it.” Sam rolled his eyes.

“Whatever, dude. What are you teaching today?”

“Basic defensive maneuvers. Cake walk.”

“All right. Guess I’ll see you in forty-five.” Sam disappeared and Dean knew he was going to smoke. He turned to Benny.

“Can I have my pie now?”

“Here.” Benny handed Dean a plate and a fork.

“Thank you.” Dean headed back to his office, hoping for some peace and quiet before his next class. He groaned when he walked in and found Charlie sitting on his desk. “What?” She grinned.

“Hey, Dean! Got a story for me?” Dean frowned.

“I don’t think so. But clearly you think I do, so what did I do?”

“Castiel just asked me if you call everyone by their last names.” She punched his arm. “What is wrong with you?”

“Ow. Nothing. I can’t remember his name and I can’t exactly just say “Hey you” every time I see him. That’s rude. So he’s Novak until I can get his name right. I don’t see the issue with that.”

“The issue is that we’re trying to make him feel welcomed here and you’re not doing your part!” Dean rolled his eyes.

“Look, Red. I don’t wanna be friends with him. I’ll be nice because we’re coworkers, but I’m not gonna go out of my way to talk to the guy. Now can I please eat my pie in peace. I’ve got class in half an hour and I can’t kick Sam’s ass on an empty stomach.”


	6. Chapter 6

Castiel finished his glass of wine and lit a cigarette as he refilled his glass. He was standing on his balcony, taking in the clear, Kansas sky. He had been at the Winchester School for Hunters for almost two weeks and so far he was getting along with everyone. Everyone except Dean Winchester. The man irked him. He was clearly either an alcoholic or severely sleep deprived because Castiel had never seen him without a cup of coffee in his hand, and his eyes were always bloodshot. Castiel’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out.

**Gabriel [10:42pm]:** Having fun?

**Castiel [10:43pm]:** Define fun. It’s been two weeks.

**Gabriel [10:43pm]:** Is everyone cool?

**Castiel [10:44pm]:** For the most part

**Gabriel [10:44pm]:** Meaning?

Castiel sighed. He knew he really shouldn’t be bitching about someone he’d only known for two weeks, but Dean Winchester just got under his skin.

**Castiel [10:46pm]:** Dean Winchester

**Gabriel [10:46pm]:** What about him?

**Castiel [10:47pm]:** I’ve talked to him exactly twice and I don’t like him

**Gabriel [10:47pm]:** Damn Cassie give the guy a chance. The year just started, he’s probably stressed.

Castiel hadn’t considered that. Maybe Dean really was just sleep deprived.

**Castiel [10:48pm]:** Fine. I’ll give it a few more weeks.

**Gabriel [10:48pm]:** Good. Keep me posted. We finished the rugaru thing and caught a shifter case a few towns over. We’ll be back in about a week.

**Castiel [10:49pm]:** Cool. Stay safe and say hi to Balt for me.

**Gabriel [10:49pm]:** Done. Night Castiel

**Castiel [10:50pm]:** Night Gabe

Castiel sipped his wine and smoked his cigarette slowly. He was thinking about maybe going to a bar when his phone went off again.

**Meg [11:03pm]:** Hey Clarence

Castiel smiled. He liked Meg. She was nice, for a demon, and she had been taking time out of her days to help him get settled.

**Castiel [11:04pm]:** Hey Meg what’s up?

**Meg [11:04pm]:** Up for a drink?

**Castiel [11:05pm]:** Sure

**Meg [11:05pm]:** Roadhouse in 10?

**Castiel [11:06pm]:** Yeah

Castiel put out his cigarette and went inside, depositing his empty glass in the sink before throwing on his trench coat. The Roadhouse (a hunter bar and local hangout for both students and staff) was a five minute walk from his apartment, so he slowed his pace. He stared up at the sky as he walked. When he was younger, he remembered sitting outside for hours when he couldn’t sleep, just counting the stars. He hadn’t done that in years and he realized he missed it. He opened the door to the bar and walked in. He scanned the near-empty room and saw Meg sitting at the bar.

“Hello, Meg.” She smiled at him.

“Hey, Clarence. Always with the trench coat.”

“I like it,” Castiel said, taking the empty stool to her left.

“It’s too big. You look like you’re drowning in it.”

“Did you wanna meet just to insult my wardrobe? Because if so, I can leave.” Meg rolled her eyes.

“Shut up and drink, Clarence.” Castiel ordered a glass of wine. “You settling in okay?”

“I guess.”

“Dean giving you a hard time?” He shrugged and Meg smirked. “Listen. Dean wouldn’t’ve hired you if he didn’t think you were a good fit. He takes a while to warm up to people sometimes. I told you, I’ve been there for six years and I still get a coldish vibe from him sometimes. You don’t have to like him and he doesn’t have to like you. You don’t have to be friends, just keep it professional.” Castiel considered that.

“Probably for the best,” he said eventually. He really didn’t care whether Dean liked him or not. He wasn’t looking to make friends, he was looking for a paycheck and a chance to help the next generation of hunters. Making friends would really just be an added bonus.

“Take it from me, Clarence. You’re better off waiting for Dean to initiate a conversation.” Castiel only nodded. Talking about Dean Winchester this much was beginning to piss him off. Meg seemed to get the hint because she changed the subject. “So how’d you end up in Kansas?”

“Caught a case with a couple of my friends, and while I was doing research I saw the job opening at the school. Gabe told me to go for it, so I did. I honestly didn’t think I had a shot.”

“Open mind,” Meg said.

“Is that the school motto?”

“Might as well be. They’ll give everyone a chance, but they have no issue cutting problem people. We had a guy here just before you. Gordon. He had some kind of psychotic break or something. Sam and Dean tried to work with him on it until he went after Sam with a knife, yelling something about him being the antichrist.” Castiel snorted.

“Sam Winchester? The antichrist? Okay, sure.” They hadn’t known each other very long, but Castiel was fairly certain that Sam Winchester didn’t have an evil bone in his body. Dean Winchester on the other hand…

“Like I said, dude was crazy.” Meg sipped her drink. “If they offer you a full-time position, will you take it?”

“Yes. I’d like to be able to help people and I think this is the best way.” Meg nodded. They drank in companionable silence for a while after that. Castiel didn’t mind. He liked silence. Living with Gabriel and Balthazar on the road for so many years, silence had been rare and he had learned to cherish it. The silence was broken when Meg’s phone pinged on the bar. She glanced at the screen and sighed.

“And that would be Sam. Girl can’t get a night off.” She smiled at Castiel. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Clarence.” As she slipped off her barstool, she gave him a soft peck on the cheek. Castiel decided not to read too much into it as she walked away. He could be open minded, but he drew the line at interspecies relationships. Especially with a demon. That seemed like it could get…messy.

Castiel finished his drink, paid, and walked back to his apartment. He stood outside for a minute and smoked another cigarette. He was anxious. What if he wasn’t good enough for the Winchesters to keep around? He  _ needed _ this job. He couldn’t be on the road anymore. He couldn’t hunt anymore, but he still wanted to make a difference and this was the only way. He hadn’t told Gabriel or Balthazar that. They were still under the impression that if the whole teacher thing didn’t work out, he would be back with them. Truthfully, Castiel didn’t know  _ what _ he was going to do if this didn’t work out. He flicked his cigarette into the street and went upstairs.


	7. Chapter 7

“Come on, Adam. Sam does it all the time. I won’t hurt you.” Adam shook his head.

“I’d love to help you, Dean, but I don’t have time. Ask Charlie.”

“Can’t, she has class. So do Meg and Garth, and Kevin’s doing some translations for something, and Benny’s making lunch. There’s no one else.”

“Ask the new guy,” Adam suggested as he walked out of Dean’s office. Dean groaned. He didn’t want to. School had been in session for almost a month and he had only talked to Novak two or three times. Always when they happened to be taking smoke breaks at the same time. He still didn’t like the guy very much (he also had yet to learn his name), but he wasn’t terrible. Dean sighed and got up from his chair. He walked down the maze of hallways to Novak’s office. The door was open, but he knocked anyway. Novak looked up.

“What do you need, Winchester?” Over the last month, Novak had become much less professional. At least in Dean’s company. Dean was okay with that.

“Got some time to do a sparring demonstration with me? Everyone else is busy.”

“Fighting isn’t one of my strongest skill sets.”

“Doesn’t matter. I just need someone to show some disarming maneuvers on. It’s actually helpful if you suck.” Novak narrowed his eyes and set his pen down on some papers.

“Fine.” He got up and followed Dean to his classroom. Everyone was in their seats, but no one was paying any attention. Dean cupped his hand around his mouth.

“All right, listen up. Today we’re working on disarming. Everyone else is busy, so Professor Novak will be helping me with demonstrations today. First, we’ll work on disarming with knives.” Dean took his knife from the sheath on his thigh and handed it to Novak before taking out his own. He grinned and said quietly, “Just come at me.” Novak raised an eyebrow before lunging at him.

He was good, Dean had to admit. He was taking sparing much more seriously than anyone else did. Dean actually had to put up a bit of a fight. They were two minutes into it when Dean made the move he was showing his students. He was surprised to find himself blocked. He frowned slightly, but brushed past it. He was so focused on finding an opening to do it again that he didn’t notice Novak doing the exact same maneuver until his knife went skittering across the floor. Dean found himself on his back on the floor, Novak’s knee pinning him to the floor and a knife at his throat. Novak was grinning. Dean glanced at his students. They were all standing there, mouths open. Dean glared up at Novak.

“Get off me.” He gave Novak a shove, but he didn’t move. “Seriously, get off me.” Novak tilted his head, his grin slipping into a smirk.

“Sore loser, huh?” Dean used every ounce of his strength to roll them, pinning Novak’s knife hand.

“I’m in charge here,” he growled. “Don’t forget that.” They were practically nose to nose and that close, Dean could see the glint of defiance in Novak’s eyes. He got to his feet and held out his hand. Novak rolled his eyes and pulled himself up. Dean shrugged and turned back to his class. “Any questions?” No one said anything. “Great. You guys get to work while I have a word with Professor Novak in the hall.” He grabbed Novak’s sleeve and dragged him outside.

“Problem?” he asked. Dean shoved him against the wall, pressing his forearm against his chest.

“Listen to me. You don’t embarrass me in front of my class like that again. It’s my job to teach them.”

“You wanted me to help you demonstrate the maneuver and I did.”

“ _ On _ you, jackass.”

“Well, you didn’t specify that.”

“It should go without saying!”

“I think the fact that you get embarrassed about losing a sparring match says a lot about you.” Dean fixed him with a threatening stare.

“This is my class. I do the teaching. You just help.”

“I think it might benefit your students more if you didn’t always win. Just saying.” In the silence that stretched, Dean realized just how close they actually were. They were practically breathing the same air. He swallowed, suddenly aware of just how attractive Novak was. He steadied his breathing and took a step back.

“Do you wanna help me or not?”

“Yes, but I won’t do it the way you want me to. I’m not gonna let you win just to stroke your ego.” Dean huffed out a laugh.

“Fine. Prepare to get your ass kicked.”

*** *** ***

Two hours later, Dean was sweaty, exhausted, and definitely  _ not _ turned on. He dismissed his class then sat in the rolling chair he had never actually had to use before and chugged a bottle of water.

“You’re a dick,” he said when he’d caught his breath. “Thought you said fighting wasn’t something you were good at?” Novak shrugged, a smirk playing at his lips. He was barely sweating and Dean hated that.

“I lied. Same time tomorrow.”

“I guess,” Dean muttered as Novak headed for the door. He stopped in the doorway and turned around.

“My name is Castiel, by the way. Maybe you should write it down.” Dean one hundred percent did  _ not _ watch Castiel leave. He sighed and put his head in his hands. He was hot, sweaty, and painfully hard. He got up and headed for the dorms. He and Sam had their own apartment a few blocks from the school, but they had also claimed two of the dorm rooms for themselves if they needed to crash immediately. Or, in this case, take a shower. Dean went into the shower room and ran the water cold. He rinsed off, did  _ not _ get himself off to thoughts of a certain blue-eyed asshole, and grabbed a towel. Once he was in his room, he threw on some clean clothes and headed back to the main building to grab some lunch. Everyone was already in the teachers’ lounge when he walked in and Kevin grinned.

“Hey, Dean. We heard Castiel kicked your ass in combat training.”

“Please,” Dean scoffed, taking the empty seat beside Charlie. “He said he wasn’t gonna do training the way I’ve done it for  _ years _ so I let him win.”

“So why are you wearing different clothes?” Meg asked.

“Shut up.”

“Oh my god, he really kicked your ass,” Charlie said, laughing. “Oh, I wish I’d been there to see that.”

“If you had been there then I could’ve used you as a sparring partner,” Dean pointed out.

“Point,” Charlie conceded. “Tomorrow, I’m taking my class on a field trip to watch Castiel kick your ass again.”

“Can we talk about something else, please? Or else I’m gonna go eat with my students.”

“Okay, okay, sorry.” Charlie put her arm around him and kissed his cheek. “We love you, please stay.”

“Speak for yourself,” a voice said from the doorway. “I tolerate you at best.” Dean rolled his eyes.

“Feeling’s mutual, Novak. You gonna eat lunch with us?”

“Depends. Am I gonna have to fight you for a seat? Because I’d hate for you to have to change your clothes again.” Dean’s face did  _ not _ turn a crimson shade of red as Castiel sat beside Meg and smirked at him. Dean took a massive bite of his burger to avoid having to think of a comeback.

“Wow,” Meg said. “You’ve done the impossible, Clarence. You managed to shut Dean up.”

“Bite me, Masters,” Dean grumbled around his burger.

“Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you, Winchester?” Dean coughed on his burger and Charlie laughed.

“Come on, guys, leave him alone.”

“I don’t need you to stick up for me, Red. Let them tease me. I probably have it coming.” Dean turned his attention to Castiel. “I  _ will _ kick your ass tomorrow, Novak.” Castiel’s smile was almost cruel.

“Sure you will, Winchester.”


	8. Chapter 8

“You gonna do it right this time?” Dean asked. Castiel shrugged. He was enjoying getting under the older Winchester’s skin. It was fun.

“I’m fairly certain I was doing it right yesterday, Dean.”

“So you’re not gonna take this seriously at all?”

“I am taking this seriously. Your students will benefit more if they watch the move being performed for real. It’s not my fault I got the better of you. Maybe you need to practice your technique more.”

“Maybe you should think twice about not doing what you’re told. I am your boss.” Dean walked into the classroom. Castiel shook his head. He hadn’t forgotten that Dean was in charge, but he was fairly certain he wouldn’t get fired for some playful banter. He still didn’t like Dean all that much, but at least they were somewhat comfortable around each other now.

Dean was giving instructions when Castiel walked in, so he leaned against the chalkboard and folded his arm, waiting. He had left his trench coat and blazer in his office, leaving him in jeans and a white dress shirt rolled up to his elbows. The first week, he had worn a suit to class, but he quickly became aware that the dress code was basically nonexistent, so he switched to jeans.

“You ready?” Dean asked. Castiel nodded. He liked hand to hand combat. It was one of his strongest skills and he kind of liked being able to take Dean down a peg. He may have been in charge, but that didn’t give him the right to be a dick.

*** *** ***

Once Dean dismissed the class, he collapsed into his chair. Castiel folded his arms and smirked.

“Well, you were better than yesterday, I’ll give you that.”

“Fuck off. Why can’t you just do what I asked?”

“I already told you why. If you want, I can help you.” Dean shot to his feet, eyes blazing. Castiel couldn’t help grinning.

“I don’t need help. And I certainly don’t need  _ your _ help. Get out.”

“Okay, sensitive, got it.” Castiel had barely moved a foot before Dean had him against the wall. He looked thoroughly pissed off.

“I’m not sensitive. I take pride in my fighting skills and I don’t need some random asshole telling me I’m not good enough.” Dean released him and pointed at the door. “Get out of my classroom.” Yeah, he wasn’t sensitive at all. Castiel resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he walked out of the room. He had silently been hoping Dean’s speech would be a little longer. Dean was  _ annoyingly _ attractive, and being all sweaty and out of breath only made it worse. Castiel stopped in the kitchen to get lunch then headed for the teachers’ lounge.

“Hey, how’d sparring go?” Charlie asked.

“Fine.”

“Just “fine”? Come on, what happened?”

“Nothing.” It had been a mistake, telling Charlie about what happened yesterday. Castiel had thought they could just have a good laugh about it. He didn’t know she would tell everyone and he did feel a bit bad about it.

“Look, if you’re worried about us messing with Dean again,” Meg said, “don’t be. We got it out yesterday. And it’s about time someone showed him he’s not the best at everything.” Castiel shook his head.

“Just leave it. What’s going on with you guys?”

“One of my students was practicing writing code and accidentally such down the entire computer system this morning,” Charlie said.

“I  _ knew _ that was you!” Kevin said. “I was working on a research paper when that happened!”

“I’m sorry! I got it fixed in ten minutes. Calm down.”

“What’s your paper on?” Castiel asked.

“I focus on languages. This paper is about enochian.”

“The language of the angels.” Kevin smiled.

“Yeah. You know it?”

“Angels are my specialty. I’m fluent in enochian.”

“That’s so cool. Maybe you can help me with my paper.”

“I’d be happy to, Kevin.”

They lapsed into idle conversation, but Castiel couldn’t help noticing that Dean never showed up. Neither did Sam, but that wasn’t unusual. Sam usually spent lunch at his desk, catching up on paperwork. Dean was probably having lunch with his students. Or just using that as an excuse to avoid him. Castiel could respect that. He was aware that he may have crossed a line. He should probably talk to Dean about once he calmed down.

After lunch, Castiel went back to his office. He sat in his chair and stared at the papers on his desk that still needed to be graded. His students were rowdy and they had trouble focusing sometimes, but they all seemed to be retaining the information well. Castiel stared at the pile for another minute before deciding he needed a cigarette before he dealt with it. He pulled on from the pack and tucked it behind his ear as he made his way through the garage to the undesignated designated smoking area. He was surprised to find Dean already out there.

“Hey,” he said on reflex.

“What do you want?”

“Well, I was gonna smoke,” Castiel took the cigarette from behind his ear and lit it, “but since you’re here, I’d like to apologize. I was out of line.”

“Yeah, you were. And I’m not looking for a fucking apology.”

“Then what do you want?”

“I want you to leave me alone. Charlie told me to give you a chance. I did, and I was right. You’re an asshole. So just stay away from me.” Dean crushed his cigarette under his boot and shouldered past him. Castiel breathed out a long stream of smoke. Well, so much for making peace. If Dean wanted to be left alone, fine. Castiel wasn’t going to bend over backwards to make him happy. That wasn’t his job. His job was to teach. The door opened and Sam came outside.

“Oh. Hey, Castiel.”

“Hello, Sam.”

“How are your classes going?”

“Good. It’s a little difficult to get the students to focus sometimes, but everyone seems to be understanding the material.”

“Good. It’s usually hard to get freshmen to focus. They’re all excited to be at college. They’ll settle down by the second semester, I promise. The novelty wears off pretty quickly.” Castiel dragged on his cigarette.

“I’m also new to teaching so it’s a learning curve for everyone. I think I’m doing okay. We have teacher evaluations at the end of the semester, right?”

“Yup.”

“All right, so I’ll know then whether or not I’m any good.” He chuckled and Sam smirked.

“You seem to be doing fine. We haven’t gotten any complaints or requests to switch classes, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it. And also, don’t worry about being too professional. As long as you’re teaching the material, you can be as loose with it as you want. Sometimes it’s easier for people to retain the information if it’s fun.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Sam.”

“You’re welcome.” Castiel put out his cigarette and went back inside to start grading his papers.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm supposed to be sleeping because I have work later, but of course I'm not tired so here's an update! Enjoy!

Dean hadn’t talked to Castiel in three weeks. Whenever they passed each other in the hall, he would just pretend he hadn’t seen him. Dean wasn’t even mad for the original altercation anymore. He was mad that Castiel didn’t seem the least bit bothered. He was acting like Dean didn’t exist and that was pissing him off to no end. By the end of the third week, Dean damn near put his fist through the wall in his office.

“Bad time?” Dean looked up and saw Charlie standing in his doorway.

“What do you want?” he snapped.

“Just wanted to see if you wanted to grab drinks with me, Meg, Adam, and Castiel.”

“Pass.” Dean dropped into his chair and opened his laptop. Charlie came into his office and closed the door before sitting on his desk.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’ve got work to do.”

“Dean, you know you can talk to me.”

“Don’t want to. Leave.” Charlie looked hurt and Dean immediately felt guilty. “I’m sorry. I just don’t wanna talk. I’ve been having a rough few weeks. I just need some space to clear my head. Alone.”

“Okay, well, if you wanna join us, we’ll be at the Roadhouse most of the night.” She hopped off the desk and kissed his cheek before leaving. Dean smiled a little. He loved Charlie like a sister and she was the best person to go to for advice, but he just didn’t want to talk about it. He was being irrational and he knew it. He didn’t need her to point that out for him. He hadn’t wanted to be friends with Castiel to begin with, so it shouldn’t piss him off so much that he was being ignored, but it did.

Sam had tried to ask him about it a few times, but Dean had shut him down immediately. It wasn’t anyone else’s business. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t affecting how he did his job, so it didn’t matter. He pulled up his email and scrolled through it. As usual, most of it was spam. Once school got started, the only emails that were really of any importance were from students, staff, or parents. He answered a few that he deemed important then turned to the stack of ungraded papers on his desk. He taught combat and weapons training, which meant there weren’t too many paperwork assignments, but every once in a while he’d give his kids a pop quiz, just to make sure they knew the material.

He got through half the stack of mostly perfect tests before he decided to take a break. He wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge before going into the garage. He sat in Baby, turned on the radio, and lit a cigarette. Technically, he shouldn’t be smoking inside, but he had the door open and it had been a while since he’d spent some alone time with his Baby. He missed her. He was quietly humming along to a Zeppelin song when he heard the other door open. Benny walked into the garage.

“Hey, brotha.”

“Hey.” Dean took a pull from his bottle.

“You look like hell.”

“Thanks. I don’t hear that enough.”

“Seriously, you good?”

“Been better. Definitely been worse. Just a few bad weeks. I’m fine.” Dean finished his cigarette and lit another.

“Chain smoking is a universal sign that you’re not fine.”

“Okay. Whatever.”

“You don’t have to tell me. Just know I’m here.”

“Ya know, everyone keeps saying that, but I don’t think anyone gets that I don’t need anyone right now. I’m fine. I just need to work through some shit.” Benny held up his hands.

“All right. Have a good night, brotha.”

“‘Night.” Benny left the garage and Dean sucked on the end of his cigarette. It was Friday night. He had the next two days off. He should be out at the bar with his friends, getting drunk and stupid. Not sitting in his car, alone, pissed off at someone who honestly wasn’t worth the amount of energy he was putting into it. He put out his cigarette in Baby’s ashtray, finished his beer, and headed for the Roadhouse.

“Hey, look who showed up!” Charlie threw her arms around Dean. “Glad you’re here! We need someone to get the karaoke party started!” Dean had to laugh.

“Let me have a few shots and then we’ll see.”

“Jo!” Charlie shouted down the bar. “Double whiskey!” Jo looked over and smiled. Charlie dragged Dean over to the table everyone was sitting at. Garth, Kevin, and Sam were there, in addition to the other three people Dean had already been made aware of. Dean sat beside his brother.

“You owe me ten bucks, Charlie,” Sam said. “I told you he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to get drunk and stupid.” Charlie rolled her eyes and took a ten out of her pocket just as Jo dropped off a round of drinks.

“There goes your tip,” she said and Jo grinned.

“I’m sure we can work something out.” Charlie’s cheeks turned a shade of red that nearly matched her hair. Jo winked and walked away.

“God, that girl is gonna be the death of me!” Charlie groaned, dropping her head on the table.

“Ask her out,” Meg said. Charlie’s head snapped back up.

“Oh, no. I can’t. She’s one of the greatest hunters to ever come out of the School. I’m just a computer geek. There’s no way—.”

“She was clearly flirting with you,” Castiel insisted. Hearing his deep, rough voice for the first time in three weeks did something to Dean that he absolutely hated. He knocked back his double shot and flagged Jo down for another. Now he had to get drunk.

“I don’t know.”

“Red, you know she’s bi and she’s clearly into you,” Dean said as he waited for his drink. “Ask her out.”

“You guys are gonna make me do this, aren’t you?”

“You’ve been pining after her for three years,” Sam pointed out. “She’s not gonna wait forever.”

“Who’s not gonna wait forever for what?” Jo asked, setting Dean’s whiskey in front of him.

“Charlie wants to ask you out,” Kevin blurted out.

“Kevin!” Charlie snapped, her face even redder than before. Jo smirked.

“That true, Red?”

“Maybe,” Charlie muttered, unable to hide her smile. Jo put her hand on Charlie’s arm.

“My shift ends in two hours. Don’t pass out on me.” She walked away and Charlie stared after her.

“I hate you all,” she said, but she was smiling ear to ear.

“Well,” Dean said, knocking back his second shot, “that’s one down, seven to go. Who’s next?”

“Count me out,” Sam said.

“Right,” Meg said. “You’ve got your eye on Eileen. Where is she anyway?”

“Working a case in Montana right now,” Sam replied, blush creeping up his face. “She should be back in a few days. I’ve been helping her students while she’s gone.” He looked at Castiel. “Eileen’s deaf. She teaches other deaf kids. It makes them feel more comfortable. I learned sign language a few years so I could help out.”

“That’s very kind of you, Sam.”

“So are we doing karaoke or what?” Dean asked. Castiel’s voice was like an ice pick in his brain. An extremely sexy ice pick, and he had to get away for a minute.

“Oh, do your  _ Simple Man _ cover!” Adam said.

“No,  _ Ramble On _ !” Charlie insisted.

“ _ Stairway to Heaven _ ,” Garth suggested.

“God, no, that’s almost a ten minute song,” Meg argued.

“And?” Charlie said. “He has the voice of  _ God _ .”

“All right, all right. I got it.” Dean got up and took the microphone on stage. He blasted through a cover of  _ Wanted Dead or Alive _ by Bon Jovi and thanked the cheering crowd before rejoining his friends and Castiel.

“Beautiful!” Charlie gushed.

“You have a very nice voice, Dean,” Castiel said and Dean forgot, momentarily, that he was mad at him.

“Thanks, Cas.” Jo dropped off another round of drinks, made Charlie blush again, and kissed Dean on the cheek.

“You killed it.”

“Thanks, sweetheart.” He winked and slipped a twenty in her back pocket. Jo was like a sister to him, but that didn’t mean he didn’t like to tease her every now and then. She walked away and Dean turned back to the table. “Who’s next?”

Charlie went next, with a slightly off-key cover of  _ Walking on Sunshine _ by Katrina & The Waves, never taking her eyes off Jo, who was grinning back. Dean smiled to himself as he downed his third drink. The whiskey settled in his stomach and warmth spread through him. He caught Castiel’s eye and Castiel smiled shyly. Dean smiled back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all the people leaving comments. I love you guys and I'm trying to respond to everyone!
> 
> Also, I might start posting more than once a week as soon as I start getting a regular schedule at work.


	10. Chapter 10

Castiel had thought things would be better between him and Dean after the night at the bar. Instead, when they ran into each other in the hall on Monday morning, Dean continued to act like he didn’t exist. He sighed quietly, but didn’t try to engage. He didn’t care if they were friends, but things were outright hostile, and he didn’t like that. Castiel believed in having at least a cordial relationship with his coworkers. He sat at his desk to finish grading his papers. His first class wasn’t until noon so he had about three hours.

While he graded, his mind kept wandering back to Friday night. Dean had seemed relaxed for the first time since Castiel met him. Hell, he’d been outright flirty. It was almost a relief, knowing that there was another side to Dean that wasn’t so…abrasive. And Charlie was right, he did have the voice of a god. Castiel shook his head and went back to work.

An hour later, tired of correcting spelling mistakes, he took a cigarette from his pack and headed outside. As fate would have it, Dean was leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone. Castiel didn’t say anything as he lit his cigarette. If Dean wanted to talk, he would. It was ten minutes of incredibly tense silence before Castiel looked up and caught Dean staring intently at him. He shifted uncomfortably under the intense gaze.

“What?” Dean dragged on his cigarette.

“Nothing.”

“Then quit staring at me.” Dean’s gaze didn’t waver and Castiel decided he wasn’t going to let it bother him. Instead, he held eye contact, staring him down. Dean narrowed his eyes, clearly taking it as a challenge. Castiel tilted his head as he breathed out some smoke. He watched Dean swallow and his tongue flicked over his lips involuntarily. Before either of them could do anything, Sam’s voice came from the other side of the door.

“Dean, you out—oh. Hi, Castiel. Sorry, am I interrupting something?” Dean broke eye contact first and turned to his brother.

“No. What do you need, Sammy?”

“It’s Sam,” Sam grumbled. Dean rolled his eyes.

“What do you need?”

“I can’t spar with you today.” Dean groaned.

“ _ Sam _ !”

“Sorry. Krissy asked me to help her with her paper and it’s the only free time I have. You’ll have to find someone else.” Sam glanced at Castiel before leaving. Dean took another cigarette out of his pocket and lit up. Castiel studied him. This was an opportunity.

“I could help,” he offered. Dean snorted out a cloud of smoke.

“Pass.”

“I won’t make you look bad in front of your students.” That was apparently the wrong choice of words because Dean slanted a harsh glare at him.

“You’ve never made me look bad. I just don’t appreciate you ignoring my instructions. It’s my class.”

“I get that. I only wanted to help.”

“I think you wanted to prove you’re better than me and I can tolerate that. I’m more than capable of admitting when someone’s better than me. I’ve had students who could legitimately kick my ass. That makes me proud. It means I did my job well. What I don’t like is people trying to beat me in a fight just for the sake of beating me in a fight. It’s stupid.” Castiel sucked on his cigarette.

“I understand that. And I am sorry.” He meant it. “If you want me to help, I will.” Dean didn’t say anything for a few minutes and Castiel wondered what he was thinking. Sharp green eyes met his blue ones and Dean sighed.

“Fine. But I swear to God if you—.”

“I know. I’ll listen to you this time.” Castiel paused. “We should spar for real some time. I’ve been going easy on you and I know you’ve been going easy on me. Might be fun to try it for real.” Dean shrugged.

“Maybe. My class is at four. Don’t be late.”

“Yes, sir,” Castiel said, aiming for sarcastic and landing somewhere much more suggestive. He didn’t miss Dean’s eyes widening a little as he went back inside. Castiel smirked and finished his cigarette before heading back in to finish grading.

*** *** ***

Dean’s class was on actual hand-to-hand combat, which Castiel found mildly entertaining. He fought every instinct to dodge Dean’s basic maneuvers and by the end of class Dean actually wasn’t sweating.

“Thank you,” Dean said once his class had cleared out.

“You’re welcome. I still think we should have a real sparring session.”

“Why? So everyone can watch you get your ass kicked?”

“I didn’t mean in front of other people. And why do you think you can kick my ass? If history proves anything—.”

“If history proves anything, it’s that you caught me off guard. I thought we were doing a demonstration, but you decided to do it for real. That’s hardly fair.”

“Maybe the first time, but you should’ve seen it coming the second time.”

“You really don’t know when to shut the fuck up, do you?”

“I’m only stating facts.” Castiel broke into a half smirk when Dean shoved him into the wall.

“What the fuck is your problem? Every time I think maybe you’re not so bad, you start acting like a dick again. Why?” Castiel shrugged.

“I think you’re just sensitive about some things. Which is fine, but you never talk to me so how am I supposed to know what pisses you off?” Dean’s eyes narrowed and he leaned closer.

“You wanna know what pisses me off? Stuck up assholes who think they can do my job better than me.”

“I never said that. You’re a fantastic teacher.”

“Then why are you such a dick all the time?”

“I’m really not. I think you just misinterpret a lot.” Dean pressed his forearm a little harder into Castiel’s chest, but he didn’t say anything. They were so close they were practically breathing the same air. Castiel steadied his breathing and held Dean’s unwavering eye contact. His gaze flicked down for half a second and Castiel licked his lips on reflex. A light knock on the door startled them both.

“Um, am I interrupting something?” Meg asked.

“Nope.” Dean released Castiel and folded his arms. “What’s up?”

“Sam wants to talk to you.”

“All right.” Dean walked out of the room without another word and Meg raised an eyebrow.

“What the fuck was that?”

“Apparently he likes holding me against walls when he’s mad,” Castiel said with a shrug. Meg chuckled.

“I wouldn’t’ve called that mad, but all right.” Castiel tilted his head, frowning.

“What would you have called it?”

“If you can’t see it, I can’t help you.” Meg turned on her heel and walked down the hall, leaving Castiel to figure out what the hell she was talking about.


	11. Chapter 11

Dean rested his elbows on Sam’s desk and put his head in his hands. Whatever the fuck had just happened in his classroom with Castiel, it was fucking with his head.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Dean grumbled into his hands. “Meg said you wanted to see me.”

“It wasn’t urgent. Just wanted to see if maybe you wanna get dinner tonight.”

“Yeah, I’d be okay with some brother bonding. It’s been a while. If you don’t count Friday.”

“I don’t. Drunk you and sober you are different people.”

“Yeah, that’s the point of alcohol. You gonna ask Adam, too?”

“Already did. He’s in.”

“Good. Anything else?”

“Well, since you asked, what the fuck did I walk in on earlier?”

“When? You mean with Novak?”

“Yeah.”

“Nothing. We made eye contact and then he wouldn’t look away and I didn’t want him to think I was scared of him or something so I didn’t look away either.”

“How long were you two staring at each other like that?” Dean rolled his eyes.

“I dunno, Sam. It’s not like I was sitting there timing it.” Except he was. He and Castiel had been staring at each other for two minutes and forty-one seconds before Sam interrupted. And it was two minutes and forty-one seconds of Dean having no idea what the fuck was going on. He was pissed and he was pretty sure Castiel was pissed, too. But then Castiel’s stare had turned downright threatening and it did something to Dean that he didn’t even want to pretend to think about. And there was the whole “yes, sir” thing that had Dean’s blood boiling in a way that was less anger and more…well…yeah.

“I really don’t get why you hate him so much, but you two need to work this out,” Sam said. “You don’t have to be friends, but you at least need to be civil to him.”

“I tried!” Dean snapped. “It’s like he’s pissing me off on purpose! Talk to him!”

“I will,” Sam said in a tone that was much calmer. Dean took a deep breath and reigned in his anger. He was still reeling from his second encounter with Castiel, after his class, and he hadn’t had enough time between that and this conversation to fully process what had happened.

“I need a drink.” He caught Sam’s judgmental expression. “What?”

“Nothing. See you tonight?”

“Definitely.” Dean stood up and walked to his own office. He sat at his desk and stared at the grain of the wood. His head hurt, honestly. Whatever was happening between him and Castiel was fucking with him. He hated the guy and he knew Castiel hated him, too. He was grateful that Meg had interrupted because he couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t have put his knife to Castiel’s neck, given the chance. What had surprised him was that Castiel hadn’t fought back. Not even a little. He let Dean shove him against the wall and hold him there. After the way he acted during their demonstrations and all that talk about sparring for real, he hadn’t put up any kind of a fight. It was weird.

Dean would be lying if he said that a real sparring session didn’t intrigue him. He would love the opportunity to kick Castiel’s ass. He just didn’t think it was a good idea. He had decades of training from a former Marine. He didn’t know what Castiel’s background was, but he had a feeling it wasn’t nearly as extensive. It wouldn’t be a fair fight. As much as he wanted to put Castiel in his place for questioning his methods, he would never take someone in an unfair fight. Maybe they could do something else. But what?

Dean shook his head. This was completely stupid. He didn’t have anything to prove. He was one of world’s top rated hunters. The school was turning out better and better hunters each year. He was proud of what he and Sam had built and he wasn’t going to let some self-righteous prick take that away from him. With that decided, he turned to the pile of paperwork on his desk.

*** *** ***

Dean was late, but that wasn’t much of a surprise. He was always late. Sam and Adam were waiting for him outside the Roadhouse.

“You don’t want me to drink, so you take me to a bar?” Sam rolled his eyes.

“Come on.” They got their usual table and Dean got his customary order of chili cheese fries.  “You’re gonna have a heart attack.”

“Good. I’ll die a nice, natural death.”

“That’s not funny, Dean.”

“Fine, fine. What are acceptable topics for tonight?”

“Anything that isn’t death,” Sam said.

“Fair.”

“We could talk about your massive crush on Castiel,” Adam suggested and Dean started choking.

“I’m sorry, what?” he asked when he’d finally managed to catch his breath. Adam blinked.

“You don’t have a crush on him?”

“I wanna kill him, Adam. And if I were a different person, I might’ve done it already.” Adam held up his hands.

“Okay, okay, chill. Damn. So, Castiel’s off limits. How are your classes going?”

“I don’t wanna talk about work.”

“Okay, so death, Castiel, and work are off the table. What’s left to talk about?”

“Dean’s ridiculously long dry spell?” Jo suggested as she dropped off their food. Dean gave her his best bitch face.

“Shut up, Harvelle.”

“Hey, I just call it like I see it. When’s the last time you hooked up? Or even, like, flirted with anyone?”

“Don’t you have a job to do?” Jo smirked.

“I’ll be back to check on you. Maybe by then you’ll be able to remember back that far.” She walked away and Dean glared at his brothers.

“Don’t. Even.”

“She’s got a point,” Sam said. “I can’t even remember the last time you talked about a guy or a girl you liked. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just busy. School just started, I’ve got a lot on my mind. And since when do you care about my love life?”

“Is everything gonna turn into a fight with you tonight?” Dean sighed.

“No. I’m sorry. I just had a really long, really weird day. I need a distraction. I need to talk about something that isn’t me.”

“Okay.” After that, the conversation shifted and Dean felt himself relaxing for the first time all day. He smiled a little. No matter how crazy their lives got, he could always count on his brothers to ground him.


	12. Chapter 12

Castiel looked up from the last paper he was grading when a soft knock came at his office door. He smiled.

“Hello, Sam.”

“Hi, Castiel. Can we talk?”

“Of course.” Sam stepped into the office and sat in the chair on the other side of the desk.

“I wanted to talk to you about Dean. I understand that you might not like him, but you two need to at least act civil to each other.”

“I don’t have a problem with your brother, Sam. I’ve tried being civil. I don’t know why he hates me so much, but I think our best option is to just avoid each other.”

“Do whatever you think you need to, but I think it would help both of you if you just sat down and talked.”

“Dean doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who likes to talk.” Sam chuckled.

“You’re not wrong. I just don’t wanna lose a great teacher because my brother’s a dick.” Castiel smiled.

“Did you talk to Dean about this?”

“Yeah, last night. He told me to talk to you about it. He’s blaming you, I figured you would probably blame him.”

“I’m not blaming anyone. Some people just don’t get along.” Sam nodded.

“Okay. A word of advice if you do decide to talk to him, let him lead the conversation. Less of a chance it’ll end in a fight.”

“Thank you, Sam.”

“Thank you.” Sam stood and left. Castiel dropped his pen on his desk and sighed. He didn’t hate Dean. He didn’t hate anyone. He just didn’t like the self-righteous attitude. Dean was arrogant. He was also incredibly attractive and had a habit of pinning Castiel against walls. It was making him crazy. And the worst part was, he was pretty sure Dean knew what he was doing. He was screwing with him on purpose. He had to be.

Castiel tucked his graded papers into a folder and stood up. He stretched before heading outside for a cigarette. He had just tucked his lighter back in his pocket when the door opened and Dean stepped outside. He flicked his lighter before his eyes fell on Castiel.

“Seriously?”

“I was out here first.” Dean rolled his eyes, but he didn’t put his cigarette out. He leaned against the wall and kept his eyes glued to his boots. “So first you won’t stop staring at me and now you can’t even look at me?” Dean lifted his head enough to shoot Castiel a glare. Castiel rolled his eyes. Dean was a child. “Fine. Whatever.”

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Act like you don’t owe me an apology.” Castiel held his cigarette a little tighter, trying to keep his anger in check. Dean was baiting him.

“I don’t owe you anything, Dean. I’ve already apologized. If anything, you should be apologizing to me, but I don’t expect you to and I’m not going to ask you to. What I am going to ask is that you either start treating me like a person, or don’t talk to me. I’m not looking for trouble here. I just wanna make a difference in the world and I know you do too. That’s why you opened this school in the first place. We can’t do that if we’re constantly fighting.” Castiel waited for Dean to respond.

“Fine,” Dean said eventually, taking a long drag. “We’re gonna settle this. You said we should spar for real. I agree. Friday, after school. Whoever wins gets to teach my classes.” Castiel blinked. He hadn’t been expecting that.

“Dean, I didn’t mean for—.”

“No, you made a point. I wanna make the world a better place, and the only way to do that is for our students to be trained by the best.” Dean raised an eyebrow, daring Castiel to argue. He narrowed his eyes.

“Fine. Friday.” Dean smirked.

“Good.” He crushed his cigarette and went back inside. Castiel stared after him. Everything was a fight with Dean. Even when he was trying to make peace, it was a fight. Castiel shook his head. He was done trying to be nice. If Dean wanted a fight, he was going to get a fight, and Castiel wasn’t going to hold back.

*** *** ***

“Heard you and Dean got into it yesterday,” Charlie said, plopping down in the chair next to him. Castiel sighed.

“Not really. We had a…disagreement.”

“So he  _ didn’t _ pin you against the wall in his classroom?”

“Maybe. Look, it’s fine. It’s sorted out.”

“Mm, I’ll bet.” Castiel tilted his head and frowned.

“What does that mean?” Charlie grinned.

“Nothing. What’s going on with you two, though? You guys were getting along fine on Friday.”

“I’m sure the alcohol played a major role in that,” Castiel said. “I thought we were okay, too, but Dean wants to keep picking fights. There’s nothing I can do about that.” Charlie rolled her eyes.

“He’s an idiot. I’ll talk to him.”

“Please don’t. Sam already did. We’re just never gonna get along. It’s fine.”

“You don’t sound fine.” Charlie put her hand on his shoulder. “Look. Dean’s a good person, he really is. You just need to give him some time.” Castiel nodded, but the fact of the matter was, he just didn’t care anymore. He tried to be nice and it didn’t work, so he was done. He would put Dean in his place on Friday, and then he would only speak to him when he needed to.

Charlie changed the subject as everyone else came into the teachers’ lounge and Castiel lost himself in idle conversation. Meg was spending the week teaching her students demon banishments while trying to avoid getting hit with them. Charlie was showing her students coding. Kevin was teaching his students enochian and Castiel offered to help if he needed it. Garth was apparently teaching his students about lunar cycles, which made sense. Castiel was teaching his general lore class according to the guidelines Sam had given him, but he was expanding the section on angels a little.

“We should go out again,” Meg said when the conversation hit a lull.

“Yes!” Charlie said. “Yes, we have to do that. We should make it a weekly thing! It was fun!”

“I’m busy this Friday,” Castiel said, “but maybe I’ll meet you there.”

“Please, please, please!” Charlie begged, grabbing his arm. “You have to come.”

“I’ll try.”

“Fine.” Castiel’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and checked the screen. A text from Gabriel. He made an excuse about having to grade papers and headed back to his office. Once he was at his desk, he unlocked his phone.

**Gabriel [12:27pm]:** Coming back tonight. Dinner?

**Castiel [12:30pm]:** Sure

**Gabriel [12:30pm]:** Cool. How’s school going?

**Castiel [12:31pm]:** Could be better. Could also be a lot worse. We can talk tonight. Say hi to Balt for me and stay safe.

**Gabriel [12:32pm]:** Will do. See you tonight.

Castiel smiled a little. As annoying as Gabriel was, he did miss him. Balthazar, too. Something felt a little off when they weren’t around. Maybe it was just because they had spent years on the road together, but the apartment felt less like home when they were gone.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, y'all I totally meant to update this earlier, but for someone who is on vacation from work, I have had a very long day. Anyway, here it is. Dean and Cas settling their issues with a fist fight because why not.

“Why are you doing this?” Dean blocked a punch.

“Because I’m tired of him being a prick. I’m gonna kick his ass and set him straight on who’s in charge here.” Benny rolled his eyes. “What?”

“Nothing, brotha. Can we at least take a break? We’ve been doing this for three hours.”

“Fine.” Dean walked over to the mini fridge in the corner and took out two bottles of water. He tossed one to Benny. “Thanks for helping me.”

“No problem. I still think you’re an idiot.”

“You and everyone else in my life. I don’t like arrogant people and I’m gonna put him in his place.”

“Whatever, man.” Dean ignored him. He knew he was being childish. Settling an argument with a fist fight was the most juvenile thing he could do, but he was beyond the point of caring. Castiel was on his last nerve and this was the only way he could think of to shut him up. Benny was nice enough to agree to help him get ready for Friday.

It was Thursday, and they were in the training room. Benny wasn’t going easy on him and Dean appreciated it. If Castiel had been serious when he said he’d been going easy on him then Dean needed to be at his best tomorrow. He’d asked Benny to help because he knew his friend would take it seriously.

“What are you gonna do if he beats you?” Dean coughed on his water.

“You think he will?”

“Well, he’s already beaten you twice.”

“I wasn’t prepared for it!” Dean snapped. He clenched his fist and crushed his bottle, sending water spilling all over his hand. Benny raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything else. “Let’s just get back to work.”

*** *** ***

Dean spent most of Friday shaking off nervous energy. Well, not  _ nervous _ . He knew he could take Castiel. It was just that the anticipation was killing him. He tried to focus. He got through his classes and his breaks in a haze. He avoided all the places he knew Castiel would be and staggered his smoke breaks so they wouldn’t run into each other. By the time his last class let out, Dean was practically vibrating. He dropped his stuff off in his office before he made his way to the training field. It was secluded enough that no one would know they were back there and as far as he knew, Benny was the only one who was actually aware of what they were doing.

“Thought you were avoiding me,” Castiel said from where he was leaning against one of the practice targets. After not seeing him all day, Dean was more than ready to punch him.

“Just seeing if you’d have the balls to show up without me reminding you.” Castiel rolled his eyes.

“You’re a child, Dean Winchester. There are a thousand other ways we could settle this. Why must you resort to violence?”

“So you’re backing down?”

“I never said that. I was just wondering why you can’t handle things like an adult?” Dean was seething now.

“Are we gonna do this or what?” Castiel smirked.

“By all means.”

Dean threw the first punch and hearing bones crack under his knuckles filled his with a vindictive kind of pleasure. Castiel was good and Dean had to give him credit, but he was better. Castiel did land a few good punches and Dean knew he was going to have a black eye tomorrow. Probably a swollen lip, too. Castiel was going to have worse. Dean would make sure of it. His fist connected with Castiel’s jaw and he knew he was grinning like a madman. The punch was followed by a kick to the stomach that sent him to the ground. Dean pinned him to the ground and landed three more punches before he was pushed off.

“I expected more from you, Dean,” Castiel said, his knuckles splitting open a little more each time a punch landed.

“Yeah, well, I’ve been hit harder by Charlie.” They were rolling around on the ground now, blood, sweat, and dirt mixing together and clinging to their skin. Dean was used to being sweaty and bloody and dirty, but he wasn’t used to fighting without death being the end result. Sam was the only other  _ person _ he had ever gotten into a fist fight with and those always ended as soon as one of them was down. This was different. Dean stopped punching when he couldn’t tell if the blood on his hands was his or not. He had Castiel pinned so that he couldn’t move. His face was a bloody mess, but he was still smirking for some reason.

“I’m impressed, Dean.” Dean took a deep breath and his anger cleared a little. It was then that he realized exactly how close they were. He also realized that there was something very  _ hard _ pressing against his thigh. On an impulse, he moved his leg a little. He watched Castiel’s breath hitch and his eyes darken a little. Dean swallowed thickly, his tongue darting out of his mouth to wet his lips. He swallowed again before clearing his throat.

“Well, I guess that’s settled.” he got to his feet and held out his hand. Castiel took it and he pulled him up. “You done being a prick?”

“For now. I can admit when I’m beaten. Charlie, Meg, and I are going to the Roadhouse tonight. Would you like to come?” Dean blinked.

“Um, sure, I guess.” He looked Castiel up and down, his eyes lingering a little longer in certain places. “We should probably get cleaned up first.”

“Good idea.”

“Shower rooms in the dorms are fully stocked.”

“Thank you, but I don’t have any clean clothes here.”

“I have some you can borrow,” Dean said without thinking.  _ What the fuck is wrong with you, Winchester? _ Castiel raised an eyebrow. “Just seems kinda stupid to go all way back to your apartment only to basically drive all the way back here.

“Okay,” Castiel agreed after a minute.

“Okay. Cool.” They walked to the dorms together in complete silence. Dean didn’t know what Castiel was thinking, but he was thinking that this day had taken a  _ very _ weird turn. They weren’t supposed to be  _ friends _ after this. It was weird. They showered in stalls on opposite sides of the room, but Dean still felt like it was too close. He cranked the water to freezing and tried to ignore how hard he was. Beating the shit out of Castiel shouldn’t have turned him on so much and he couldn’t exactly get off while the guy was  _ in the room _ .

By the time he shut off the water, he was more frustrated than he’d been all week. The water was still running in the other shower so he wrapped a towel around himself and headed for his room. He got dressed then dug around for some older clothes he didn’t mind lending out. He walked back to the shower room just in time to see Castiel securing a towel around his waist. Dean cleared his throat.

“Um…here.” He set the clothes on the counter. “I guess I’ll…see you at the bar.”

“Thank you, Dean.”

“Yeah, no problem.” He left again, ignoring the slight tightening in his jeans. He needed to get drunk.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry, I completely forgot to update yesterday! Everything was crazy. Please enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Castiel leaned against one of the sinks and stared at himself in the wall-length mirror. He looked like hell. At first, he was just going to let Dean win. He didn’t want to teach Dean’s class and he figured it was the best way to end their stupid feud. But then Dean had legitimately beat the shit out of him and he had been equally terrified and turned on. Once he’d gotten Castiel pinned, Dean’s eyes went glassy and unfocused. It was the most unnerving thing Castiel had ever seen. He had briefly been worried that Dean might actually try to kill him.

Then the anger had cleared and Dean seemed to realize the incredibly compromising position he’d put them in. He knew exactly what he was doing when he’d moved his leg. Castiel had done his best to keep his face neutral, but he was sure he’d missed the mark. And then, because Castiel wasn’t already confused enough, Dean had been nice to him. He was acting like they were friends. It was…weird.

After Dean left the shower room the first time, Castiel had gotten himself off to images of green eyes and sandy hair. He felt a little guilty about it, but god Dean was killing him. And he was fairly certain he was doing it on purpose. Castiel groaned and looked at the pile of clothes on the counter. He should leave them there, put on his bloody clothes, and drive home to change. He didn’t want to, though. He was clean and Dean had made a point. From his apartment, he had to pass the school to get to the bar. It was pointless to drive so much when he technically didn’t have to. He picked up the clothes and went into one of the stalls to change.

*** *** ***

“What the fuck happened to you two?” Charlie asked when Dean and Castiel walked in. Dean had gotten to the bar first, but he hadn’t gone in until Castiel showed up.

“Figured we should both be there when they inevitably interrogate us about, ya know, your face,” he had said and Castiel had rolled his eyes.

“We got into a fight,” Castiel told Charlie as he took one of the open barstools.

“Ooh, who won?”

“I did,” Dean said. “And that’s all either of us is saying about it. So drop it.”

“Someone’s testy,” Meg commented.

“You look like shit,” Jo said as she dropped off a round of drinks. “Who would wanna ruin that pretty face of yours?”

“That’d be me,” Dean said with a grin. Jo crossed her arms and glared at him.

“Well, you just bought his drinks for the night.”

“Hey, come on, that’s not fair!” Dean shouted after her as she walked away. Castiel laughed.

“That’s what you get for bragging, Winchester.”

“Bite me, Novak.”

“Careful what you wish for.” Castiel bit his tongue, waiting for Dean to say something snarky. Instead, the fucker decided to wink. Maybe he was just being friendly, but Castiel was pretty sure Dean was messing with him on purpose.

“Why are you wearing Dean’s clothes?” Charlie asked.

“We got a little bloody. He let me borrow them so I didn’t have to drive all the way home just to drive all the way back here.” As he said it out loud, Castiel realized how dumb it sounded. It made sense, but it was also really weird.

“Didn’t know you were just giving out your clothes now,” Sam said to Dean. Dean rolled his eyes.

“I was being nice, bitch.”

“Sure you were, jerk.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dean asked. Sam didn’t answer and a tense silence fell over the table.

“Well, this got awkward,” Meg said. She turned to Sam. “So, how’s Eileen?”

“Good. She’ll be back tomorrow. She’s excited to meet you, Castiel.”

“Too bad she’s deaf and not blind,” Dean said. “She wouldn’t have to see that mess.”

“Dean, be a person,” Adam said.

“He’s not a person, you know that,” Kevin said.

“Okay, okay, let’s not gang up on me.” Dean held up his hands. “We got into a fight, I won fair and square, and I’m done making jokes about it. I promise.” He turned to Castiel. “And I am sorry I kinda fucked up your face. Maybe Rowena can help with that. Jo’s not wrong. You do have a nice face.” Castiel ignored the blush spreading up his cheeks.

“Thanks, Dean.”

“Aw,” Charlie gushed. “You two are adorable.”

“Shut up, Red, or I’ll tell your girlfriend about Halloween six years ago.” Charlie wrapped her lips around her straw and stayed silent. Whatever happened on Halloween six years ago must have been bad. Castiel was curious. Maybe Charlie would tell him one day.

“Anyway,” Meg said, “who’s starting karaoke tonight?”

“Dean!”

“No. I always start. Someone else can go first. How ‘bout you, Cas?”

“I don’t sing,” Castiel said. He didn’t. Ever. Maybe in the car sometimes when a good song came on the radio, but never in public.

“Oh, come on, it’s fun, Clarence!”

“Then why don’t you go up there?”

“No,” everyone else said in unison. Meg grinned.

“Last time I got up there they had to call the cops. Long story, but better if I stay where I am. Go on.”

“Maybe he’ll be looser after a few drinks,” Jo said, sliding a glass in front of him. Castiel looked down at his drink. Maybe getting drunk wasn’t the best idea.

“Liquid courage is an amazing thing,” Dean said. “Come on, Cas. Live a little.”

“Dean, leave the poor guy alone,” Sam said.

“Fine, then you get up there.”

“Oh, fuck no.”

“Well, someone better get up there,” Adam said.

“How about you?” Kevin suggested.

“Nice try, Kev, but not gonna happen.”

“It’s either Dean or Castiel,” Charlie said. Castiel caught Dean’s eye. Dean smirked a little.

“I kicked your ass earlier. You deserve a break.” Dean knocked back his shot and took the stage. Castiel watched as he did a flawless cover of  _ Simple Man _ . He sipped his drink slowly. Dean’s voice was amazing and Castiel could feel himself getting hard again. He could deal with that, but not if he was drunk. He decided it was better to play it safe.

“Dean, you should’ve been a singer,” Charlie said when he came back over.

“Don’t want that kind of attention.” He grinned at Castiel and lowered his voice. “See something you like?”

“Not particularly,” Castiel responded, swirling his straw in his drink. Dean looked thoroughly annoyed and Castiel smirked. It was better that way. Mutual antagonism. It was familiar and it was comfortable. Maybe they could do it without so much anger in their words now. The rest of the night was a blur. The next thing Castiel knew, he was back in his apartment and Gabriel was forcing him to drink water.

“When did you become such a partier?”

“It wasn’t a party,” Castiel mumbled. “Just some drinks with my coworkers.”

“Well, at least you’re getting along with them. What happened to your face?”

“Got in a fight.”

“With who?” Gabriel asked.

“Since when do you get into fights?” Balthazar asked.

“Dean Winchester. He was…mad that I was making him look bad in front of his students, so he challenged me to a fight. Whoever won got to teach his class.”

“So who won?”

“He did. And I guess we’re friends now.” Gabriel furrowed his brow.

“How does that work?”

“I don’t know. My head hurts.”

“Get some sleep. We can talk in the morning.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, y'all. This is the only day I have off from work for what feels like forever and I feel like death. Your comments always make me happy, so here's an extra chapter this week. Love you guys!

“Busy?” Dean leaned against the doorframe and grinned. Cas rolled his eyes.

“Maybe. What do you want?”

“Sammy bailed on me again. Up for a demonstration?” Cas dropped his pen and leaned back in his chair.

“That’s the third time this week. Either your brother has  _ horrible _ planning skills, or you just want me to help you.” Dean shrugged.

“So you coming or what?”

“Of course. I never pass up the opportunity to make you look bad.” Dean chuckled and shook his head.

“Whatever, dude. Smoke first?”

“Yeah. I’ll meet you out there.” Dean nodded and headed outside. Over the last couple weeks, things had been increasingly more friendly with Cas. They talked every single day, took smoke breaks together, and Cas had been helping Dean out with his in-class demonstrations more and more. It was nice. Dean lit his cigarette just as Cas came out. He passed over his lighter.

“I’m teaching offensive moves this week.”

“Yes, you told me that the last two times.”

“Just reminding you. How are your classes going?”

“Kids are a nightmare, but they seem to be understanding the material and I feel like I’m making a difference.”

“Good. I added a class on angels to the spring semester, so, as long as there’s enough interest, you’ll be teaching something you actually wanna teach in a few months.” Cas smiled.

“I appreciate that, Dean, thank you. But I do enjoy my classes and Sam has been very helpful.”

“Good. And just know you can come to me if you have any questions, too.” Dean took a drag from his cigarette.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Cas caught Dean’s eye and Dean smiled a little. He hadn’t noticed, but as they were talking, they had drifted closer together. They were standing barely a foot apart. Dean’s eyes flicked down to Cas’s lips and he watched Cas’s tongue dart out of his mouth. Dean bit his lip. He still didn’t know what was going on. Sometimes he thought maybe Cas didn’t realize he was doing it. Other times he thought maybe Cas was just messing with him. His eyes moved back up and when they locked eyes again, Cas took a small step closer. Following an instinct, Dean tossed his half-smoke cigarette into the grass and pinned Cas against the wall.

“Dean, you better be out—oh, shit. Sorry.” Dean backed off Cas and turned to look at Charlie.

“Hey, kiddo. What’s up?”

“Just wanted to know if we’re all still going out tonight.”

“Every Friday night unless I tell you different, Red.”

“What about you?” Charlie asked Cas.

“I’m in.”

“Awesome. I’ll let you two get back to…whatever it was you were doing.” She winked and disappeared inside. Dean looked at Cas and cleared his throat.

“I should probably show you the move I’m working on today before we do it in front of the class.” Cas nodded and followed him to the training room. They still had about an hour and a half before Dean’s class. They spent more time goofing off than actually practicing the move, but Dean didn’t mind it. He liked that he and Cas were finally getting along. He did still feel a little bad for how badly he’d beaten him, but Rowena had fixed them both up the next day.

“I still think we should spar for real,” Cas said while they were taking a break. Dean frowned.

“Didn’t we do that already?”

“I wouldn’t call what we did sparring. That was a fight. I think we could help each other. You’re an exceptional fighter, but we could help each other hone our skills.” Dean considered that. It wasn’t a bad idea. Cas was the only person other than Sam who could match his fighting skills. Maybe sparring every once in a while wouldn’t be a terrible thing.

“Yeah, all right. How about Wednesdays after school? We can come down here and spar for a few hours.” Cas grinned.

“This is gonna be fun.”

*** *** ***

After Dean’s classroom emptied, Dean tossed Cas a bottle of water.

“You actually put up a pretty good fight today,” Cas said.

“Oh, bite me,” Dean muttered. Just like after every time they did demonstrations, he was sweaty, exhausted, and painfully hard. In the last couple weeks, he had spent more time than he cared to admit jerking off in the shower room of the dorms. He tried to think about  _ anything _ else, but his mind always wandered back to blue eyes and dark hair. Normally, he wouldn’t mind it (it wasn’t like he hadn’t been attracted to coworkers before), but this felt different. He and Cas were barely friends. They hadn’t gotten off to a great start. He also wasn’t exactly sure what was going on between them.

He could ask, but he didn’t want to offend him. Or worse, make him so uncomfortable that they lost one of the best teachers they’d had in years. It was better if he just kept his mouth shut. It was only physical anyway. He just needed to get laid. With that in mind, he headed to the shower room. He showered quickly, changed his clothes, and headed for the kitchen.

He liked spending lunch with his students, but he’d been hanging out in the teachers’ lounge for the last couple weeks. He missed spending that time with his friends. Benny handed him his burger and a beer.

“Thanks, man.”

“Good to see you and Castiel getting along better.” Dean smiled and went into the teachers’ lounge. Charlie was the only one at the table.

“Hey, Red.”

“Oh, no. Don’t come in here acting all casual. We’ve got about two minutes before everyone else gets here. What the fuck did I walk in on earlier?”

“Nothing. We were talking.” Charlie laughed.

“Sure, Dean. And do you always hold people against the wall when you talk to them?”

“Look, it was nothing, okay? Just drop it.”

“One more question.”

“Fine.”

“Do you like him?” Dean shrugged.

“I wouldn’t kick him out of bed, but…no. I’m just sex deprived. I’m gonna dedicate tonight to hooking up.”

“Good. You need it. In the meantime, maybe don’t pin people to walls.”

“Probably a good idea.” The door opened and Dean took a bite of his burger to keep his mouth busy.

“Hey, guys.” Kevin, Adam, Meg, and Garth took their usual places around the table. “What are we talking about?”

“Moondoor,” Charlie said. “Anyone else up for some LARPing on the field tomorrow?”

“If we’re not too hungover, sure,” Kevin said. “You gonna invite your girlfriend?” Charlie blushed.

“Why do you guys do that? You know her name.”

“Yeah, but it’s more to watch you get all red,” Dean said, kissing the top of her head. Charlie rolled her eyes.

“Whatever. Yes, I’m inviting Jo.”

“Inviting Jo where?” Cas asked from the doorway and Dean turned around.

“LARPing tomorrow on the field. You in?” Cas frowned slightly as he took his seat beside Meg.

“What’s LARPing?” Dean and Charlie gasped.

“Please tell me you’re joking,” Charlie said.

“No.”

“You’re dead to me,” Dean said. “LARPing. Live Action Role Playing. Come on, it’s fun.”

“Sure. I guess it can’t kill me.”

“That’s the spirit!” Charlie grinned. The conversation shifted to other, much more boring topics after that. Dean was trying to listen to what Kevin was saying, but his eyes kept drifting to Cas. Whenever they made eye contact, Cas would smile and Dean would smile back. By the time lunch was over, Dean hadn’t finished his burger and he had a weird feeling rolling around in his stomach. Yeah, he needed to get laid. Immediately.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3am update because I can't sleep and I have to go to work in like 6 hours and I'll definitely forget later
> 
> Some quick backstory, Charlie runs a Tumblr account for Moondoor just because. Dean has no idea about it and Cas doesn't know what Tumblr is because he's Cas.
> 
> Most of the chapters, up until chapter 38, have Tumblr posts at the beginning, and yes it's important to the story.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

“Like that?”

“Almost. You need more momentum.” Castiel took the knife from Jack and demonstrated the move again. “See? Tight grip, complete follow-through, and momentum. Try again.” He handed the knife back and stood to the side to watch. This time, Jack executed the move perfectly and Castiel beamed. “Perfect! You’re doing really well, Jack.”

“Thanks, Castiel.” In the last couple months, Castiel had been spending more and more time in Dean’s classes. He still taught his own, but if he was free when Dean was teaching, he found himself wandering into the classroom. For the most part, he would just stand to the side and watch. Dean was done with hand-to-hand combat so he didn’t need anyone to demonstrate moves on anymore, but Castiel still liked to help out sometimes. If Dean minded, he hadn’t said anything.

“This guy giving you a hard time?” Dean asked Jack, putting his arm around Castiel’s shoulders. Jack frowned.

“No. Professor Novak was helping me.” Dean grinned.

“I know, kid, I was messing with him. Mind if I borrow him for a second?”

“Okay.”

“Thanks, Jack. I’ll bring him right back.” Castiel followed Dean across the training field.

“If you want me to leave, I will,” he said. Dean furrowed his brow.

“What? No. I don’t mind you helping out. It’s actually kinda cool. I can spend more time with the kids who need help because I don’t have to worry about missing someone. I just don’t want you to think you have to be here. I don’t want you to use up all your free time helping me out.”

“I like helping,” Castiel said. “As long as you don’t mind me being here. I don’t want you to think I’m trying to take your class. I just like watching. You’re a very skilled fighter.” Dean smiled.

“Thanks. And I don’t think you’re trying to take my class. I appreciate the help. Fighting is an important skill and I feel bad when I can’t give every kid the attention they need. You’re one of the best fighters I’ve seen in a while. I’m more than okay with you helping out.” Castiel smiled, too.

“Okay, then. We still on for later?”

“Oh, hell yeah. And I’m gonna kick your ass today.”

“You’re oh for six as of last week, but yes, sure, you’re going to kick my ass today.” Something flashed in Dean’s eyes and Castiel grinned. He still liked pissing Dean off, but the dynamic was so much different. The words that used to send Dean into fits of rage were taken as playful banter now. It was nice.

“Care to make it interesting?” Castiel raised an eyebrow.

“How so?”

“Loser buys dinner. Whenever.” Well. That was unexpected.

“Okay, sure. Loser buys dinner.” Dean held out his hand and Castiel shook it, ignoring the tingling in his skin at the contact. They made eye contact and Castiel got lost trying to count the different shades of green. Someone cleared their throat.

“Um, Dean, can you help me?” Dean broke eye contact to look at the girl who had come over. He smiled.

“Sure, Claire.”

“I should go make sure Jack’s okay.” Castiel walked back over to where Jack was still practicing. “How are you doing, Jack?” Jack grinned.

“Better, I think! Watch!” Castiel watched as Jack performed the move. He smiled.

“Very good, Jack. You’ve made a lot of progress in the last few months. I’m proud of you.”

The class ended thirty minutes later. Once the field was cleared, Dean put his hand on Castiel’s shoulder.

“Two more weeks before vacation. You worried about teacher evaluations?”

“No. Should I be?”

“Not at all. Most students just tell you what they liked about the class. I’ve had a few kids admit to having a crush on me.”

“Oh, I didn’t know you helped teach blind kids.” Dean responded by smacking him on the back of the head and Castiel laughed.

“You’re an asshole. My point was, I’ve never actually gotten a bad one. No one has, except for one teacher who doesn’t work here anymore. Most of the kids are just excited to be learning.”

“Okay. Smoke break before lunch?”

“Sounds good.”

*** *** ***

“That sounds like a date,” Gabriel said and Castiel rolled his eyes.

“It’s not a date, it was a bet.”

“‘Loser buys dinner’ is not a bet, Castiel,” Balthazar insisted. “It’s a way of asking you out without asking you out so you can’t reject him.”

“You’re both idiots. Dean’s a friend. Besides, he never specified that the dinner would be just the two of us. It’ll probably be all of us at the Roadhouse on Friday. You’re reading too much into it.” Gabriel and Balthazar exchanged a look.

“Yeah, okay, sure,” Gabriel said. “Just make sure you let us know how it goes.”

“Yeah, enjoy your not-date,” Balthazar said.

“Both of you can go straight to hell,” Castiel said before retreating into his room. He changed into his favorite pajamas and stretched out on his bed. He picked his phone up off his nightstand to set his alarm and saw a text from Dean.

**Dean [10:18pm]:** Saturday at the Roadhouse work?

 **Castiel [10:29pm]:** Sure

 **Dean [10:30pm]:** Awesome. See ya tomorrow. Have a good night. 🙂

 **Castiel [10:30pm]:** You too 🙂

Castiel set his alarm and put his phone down. He honestly didn’t know what to think. Was Dean trying to ask him out? If so, why didn’t he just…ask? Not that Castiel wanted to date Dean, but he wouldn’t be mean about turning him down. It wasn’t a personal thing, he just didn’t think getting involved with coworkers was a good idea. Especially given that he was new _and_ Dean ran the school. That would look bad for everyone. He also wasn’t attracted to Dean. Not romantically, anyway. Physically, well, the man was a walking wet dream, and he definitely wouldn’t say no if Dean was looking for a one-time, maybe two-time, thing, but they were too different for him to develop any real feelings.

Castiel shook his head. He was being ridiculous. Dean didn’t have feelings for him. They were friends. Better friends than he had ever thought they would be. Nothing more, mutual physical attraction or not. And he knew the physical attraction was mutual. It had to be. Dean was not a subtle person. The last time Dean had pinned him to a wall, almost two months ago, Castiel was fairly certain Dean would have kissed him if Charlie hadn’t interrupted. He was still a little bitter about that. They had been so close.

Castiel closed his eyes and buried his face in his pillow. He really was being ridiculous and Gabriel and Balthazar weren’t helping. He just needed some sleep. Everything would make more sense in the morning.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, I've decided to just start posting twice a week since you all seem to like it so much! So here's a 3am update before I pass out. Love you guys!

Dean sat at the bar and ordered a whiskey while he waited. He figured the Roadhouse was a good place for him and Cas to meet. It was familiar and they were just two friends having dinner.

Casual was good. Jo set his drink down on the bar.

“You waiting on a date or what?”

“Nah. Me and Cas decided to get drinks and talk. We’ve been friends for a while, but I don’t know anything about him.” That was only partly a lie. He didn’t really know anything about Cas other than what other people had told him, and he wanted to get to know him better. He sipped his whiskey and waited. He had to keep telling himself this wasn’t a date because it wasn’t. He didn’t have romantic feelings for Cas. They were just hanging out. Dean hung out with his friends one-on-one all the time. This wasn’t anything different. He steadied his breathing and took another sip of whiskey. The liquor calmed him a little.

“Charlie thinks you have a crush on him.”

“Tell your girlfriend she needs to mind her own business. I don’t have a crush on him. I’m trying to get to know him better. I know everything about my other friends, I should get to know him, too.” Jo shrugged.

“Okay.” She walked away and Dean stared into his whiskey.

“Hoping it’ll reveal the secrets of the universe?” a voice said next to him and he jumped.

“Damn it, Cas. Don’t do that.” Cas laughed.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.” Dean leaned back and took a more thorough look at him.

“Did you dress up for this?”

“Against my will, yes,” Cas sighed, taking the empty stool to Dean’s right. “I told Gabriel and Balthazar we were hanging out tonight and they _insisted_ that I “dress nice”. They refused to let me leave the apartment.” Dean laughed.

“I should meet your roommates. They sound like fun.”

“‘Fun’. Sure. That’s a word for it.” Cas ordered a bourbon and smiled. “So, how did your classes go yesterday?”

“I don’t wanna talk about work tonight,” Dean said. “I thought we could use this as a chance to get to know each other a little better.”

“Oh. Okay. What would you like to know?”

“Whatever you’re comfortable telling me. I don’t know what Sam told you about us, but we started hunting when we were kids. Our mom died and our dad went a little crazy. Sam got out for a while and went to college, but I dragged him back in because I didn’t wanna be alone. We spent years on the road together until we met a group of kid hunters. We sorta took them under our wings and taught them everything we knew. The school was Sam’s idea. Once the kids left, we both realized there had to be more of them out there. Neither one of us agrees with raising kids as hunters, but Sam suggested we open a school so that we could at least teach them the right ways to do things. I didn’t really wanna give up life on the road, but…I’m glad I did.” “When did Adam come into the picture?” Cas asked.

“Oh, right. We were working a case in Minnesota when we got a call on one of Dad’s old cells. The kid said he needed to talk to our dad about a case he was working. Turns out we were both on the same case, so we met up with him. He said our dad was his dad. I’ll admit, I was kind of an asshole to him when we first met him. I hated the idea that there was a time when our dad had moved on from our mom.” Dean finished his whiskey and ordered another. “I can’t imagine life without him now, though. He’s a good kid and a great hunter.” Cas nodded.

“It’s good that you and your family are so close. I never knew my family.” His eyes got a little darker and Dean put his hand over Cas’s on the bar.

“Hey. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“No, I should. My parents were killed by a vampire when I was a baby. I don’t know why it left me alive. I was found by the police and put into foster care. I ran away when I was seven. Once I learned what happened to my parents, I spent most of my life tracking down the vamp that killed them. I met Gabriel and Balthazar while I was working a case. We’ve been hunting together ever since. I was doing research for a case in a nearby town when I came across the job opening here. I’ve been wanting to get out of hunting for a while, but I still wanted to feel like I was making a difference in the world, so I took a shot.” Cas smiled. “Thanks for giving me a chance.”

“No problem. Why the fascination with angels?”

“Oh. Everyone’s always told me I have the name and the face of an angel, so it just made sense to me that I should learn everything I can about them.” Dean chuckled.

“So you think you’re an angel?” Cas snorted.

“Hardly. But angels are fascinating.”

“Dude, angels are dicks.”

“You say that like you’ve met one.”

“More than one,” Dean muttered into his glass. “They’re assholes. Hm. Guess you are an angel.” Dean glanced over in time to see Cas rolling his eyes.

“Are you this much of a jackass to all your friends?”

“Yes,” Jo answered as she dropped off a plate of chili cheese fries. “Jackass in Dean’s default setting. Teasing means he’s comfortable around you. But let me know if he’s ever actually an asshole to you because I’ll kick his ass.”

“Yes, thank you, Jo. You can leave now.” Jo laughed as she walked away.

“Should I tell her you were a complete dick to me for, like, the first three months?”

“God, please don’t. Jo’s one of those students that I told you could kick my ass.” Cas laughed and Dean smiled. “I’m glad we’re friends now. You’re a lot cooler than I thought you were.”

“I can’t tell if that was a compliment or not, but I’m glad we’re friends, too.” Cas was smiling softly and Dean fought the urge to lean in. Instead, he picked at his fries. “Does your diet consist entirely of things that could give you a heart attack?”

“Yes and I’m not ashamed of it.”

“Never said you should be. But you probably could stand to eat a vegetable every once in a while. Just a thought.”

“God, you’ve been spending too much time with Sammy. Here.” Dean slid his plate between them. “Eat like a normal person.” Cas smirked and took some fries. Jo stopped by to drop off another round of drinks and gasped.

“Oh my, god.”

“What?” Cas asked, fry halfway to his mouth.

“I have _never_ seen Dean share his food. With anyone. Ever. This is a miracle. I have to get a picture of this or no one’s gonna believe me.” She took her phone out and snapped a picture before walking away. Cas raised an eyebrow at Dean.

“She’s not wrong. I don’t share food. But I figured, if you’re paying, you should at least get to eat some of it.”

“Well, thank you, then.” Cas smiled and something warm settled in the pit of Dean’s stomach.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1:30am update because I can't sleep. Thank you to the people who have been leaving me lovely comments. You guys always make my day better! Hope you all enjoy!

“How was your date?” Gabriel asked the second Castiel walked in the door. He rolled his eyes.

“I told you, it wasn’t a date. It was nice though. Dean’s nice. I mean, he’s an asshole, but he’s nice. I’ll see you guys in the morning.” Castiel ducked into his bedroom and locked the door before he could be interrogated. He changed into sweats and a t-shirt and sat on his bed. His phone buzzed on his nightstand.

**Dean [9:22pm]:** I had fun tonight 🙂 We should hang out more often

**Castiel [9:23pm]:** I had fun too 🙂 Whenever you want. You’re not so bad I guess

**Dean [9:23pm]:** Gee thanks 

**Dean [9:24pm]:** How about Wednesdays after sparring? We could clean up and grab drinks 

**Castiel [9:25pm]:** Sure sounds good. See you Monday 

**Dean [9:25pm]:** Night Cas 🙂

**Castiel [9:26pm]:** Goodnight Dean 

Castiel was about to put his phone down when he got another text, this one from Charlie. It was a screenshot of an Instagram post from Jo. It was the picture of him and Dean at the bar, smiling like idiots. Jo had captioned it “Young Love”.

**Charlie [9:28pm]:** We are so talking about this on Monday

Castiel sighed. He had never liked social media and now he _really_ didn’t like it. He put his phone down. He didn’t want to get into an argument with Charlie over text. He would talk to her on Monday. He would probably have to talk to everyone else, too, since Charlie couldn’t keep a secret to save her life. Suddenly, he was dreading seeing Dean again. They weren’t dating, they were friends. What if it was weird now? Castiel shook his head. He would wait and see if Dean brought it up. That was the safest thing he could think of. He closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep.

*** *** ***

“Story,” Charlie said in lieu of a greeting. She hopped up on Castiel’s desk and waited.

“There’s no story, Charlie. Dean and I went to the bar to talk. I don’t see what the big deal is and please tell your girlfriend to stay out of it. She had no right to post that.” Charlie frowned slightly.

“Okay, I’ll admit that she shouldn’t’ve done that without your permission, but, Cas, this is kind of a big deal.”

“We’re not dating, Charlie. We’re friends. I don’t have romantic feelings for him and we’re finally at a point where I’m not worried about pissing him off. Just leave it alone. And tell Jo to delete that.” Charlie nodded and got off his desk.

“Okay. Later, Cas.” She left his office. Castiel looked down at his ungraded papers. It was barely nine in the morning and he needed a cigarette. He took one from his pack and stepped outside. Dean was leaning against the building with a travel mug in one hand and his phone in the other, a cigarette between his lips. He looked up and smiled shyly, which wasn’t a word Castiel had thought he would ever use to describe Dean Winchester.

“Hey. I’m guessing you saw it?”

“Jo’s Instagram post? Yes. Charlie sent it to me last night.” Dean sighed.

“Damnit, Charlie. I already told Jo to delete it, but I want you to know that—.”

“I know,” Castiel interrupted. “It’s fine, Dean. We’re friends. We know that.” He smiled a little. “We’re good.” Dean’s smile broadened.

“Good.” Castiel lit his cigarette and leaned against the wall beside him. “So, Wednesdays?”

“Yeah, just maybe not at the Roadhouse.”

“Mm. Probably a good idea. We need a place that’s just ours, where no one will do stupid shit like post pictures of us without our consent with captions that completely misrepresent us.”

“Agreed. Know any?”

“Yeah, there’s a little 24-hour diner about a block from the apartment I share with Sam. Best coffee and apple pie in the state.”

“Sounds good. What are you teaching today?”

“Ah. Pop quiz on what we did last week. Sorry. But I’m starting gun training tomorrow. You any good with a glock?”

“Guess you’ll have to wait and find out.” Castiel crushed his cigarette under his shoe and went back inside. He sat at his desk and got back to work. He had two hours before his first class. It was a week before winter break. A week until they got their teacher evaluations. Castiel was more nervous than he would ever admit. He liked his job here and he didn’t want to lose it. He was also nervous about how much interest there would be in a class dedicated to angels. He wanted to share his knowledge, but he wasn’t sure if the student would want to learn about it. Sighing, Castiel got up and headed for his first class.

*** *** ***

“Hey, Mr. Novak, do you have a minute?” Castiel smiled.

“Of course, Kaia. How can I help you?”

“Have you picked partners for the project you mentioned?”

“Not yet, why?”

“Well, I was wondering if…if you could…if you would mind partnering me with Claire.” Castiel was about to ask why when he noticed the slight blush in Kaia’s cheeks. He chuckled to himself.

“Of course, Kaia. And hey. Just be yourself. I know that’s cliche, but it’s true. And you’re a great girl.” Kaia smiled.

“Thanks, Mr. Novak.”

“You’re welcome, Kaia. And, please, call me Castiel. Or Cas.” Castiel couldn’t really place when Dean had started calling him Cas, or when everyone else had started doing it, but he didn’t really mind it. Kaia left the room and Castiel made his way to the kitchen. Benny gave him some lunch with a smile and he went into the teacher’s lounge. Everyone in the room stopped talking and turned to look at him when he walked in. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

“Um. Hi.”

“Hi,” Meg said. The smile creeping onto her face told him everything he needed to know. He looked at Charlie.

“Really?” She shrugged, smiling sheepishly.

“Sorry! In my defense, Sam brought it up!”

“Hey!” Sam snapped. “All I said was that we should let it rest.”

“I don’t care who said what,” Castiel said, sitting beside Charlie. “Drop it. Dean and I are friends and we would both appreciate if you all stopped.”

“Sorry,” Charlie said, hugging him. “It’s just been a while since any of us have seen Dean that happy. It’s nice. We’ll stop teasing you.”

“Thank you.” The door opened again and Dean said,

“Well, it’s awkwardly quiet in here. What’d I miss?”

“Nothing,” Charlie assured him. She smiled. Dean didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t press. He sat beside Sam and attacked his burger.

“You’re going to choke,” Castiel and Sam said at the same time. They looked at each other before looking back at Dean, who was rolling his eyes.

“Fuck off, the both of you. Let me eat this in peace or I’m gonna go hang out with my kids.”

“Excuse us for not wanting you to die,” Sam said. Dean didn’t say anything.

“So, who’s worried about evaluations next week?” Kevin asked, changing the subject.

“Never!” Charlie declared. “My kids always love me!”

“I think if my kids didn’t like me they would’ve used one of those banishing spells I taught them,” Meg said.

“I’ve never had a problem,” Sam said.

“My kids usually just have crushes on me,” Dean said.

“You sure they’re just not trying to get better grades?” Castiel asked.

“Yeah, because the evaluations are anonymous, jackass.”

“Oh. Good to know.”

“Were you worried?” Charlie asked.

“Yes and no. I’m new to teaching, so,” he shrugged, “I guess I just don’t know if I’m all that good at it.”

“I’m sure you’re fine,” Kevin said. “Hell, if Garth and I can teach, anyone can.” “I feel like I should be insulted,” Garth said.

“Don’t worry about it, Cas,” Dean said. “If your students had any major issues with you, I’d know about it by now. You’re fine.” Castiel smiled. That did make him feel a little better, but he was still worried.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right y'all. I just got home from work and I feel like death. I will probably be passing out soon and I will probably sleep all day tomorrow, so I'm updating early! Enjoy!

* * *

Dean stared at the two piles of papers on his desk. Well, it was more like a pile with five papers set to the side. He was still staring at them when Charlie came bouncing into his office.

“Hi, Dean! Get your evals?”

“Yeah.” Her smile faded a little.

“What’s wrong?” She sat on his desk. Dean sighed.

“I have thirty kids in each class and five classes, do the math.”

“A hundred and fifty kids.”

“Right.” He picked up the five papers. “These are the evals that don’t mention Cas.”

“What do you mean?”

“Here.” Dean handed over the other stack. Every single one of them said something along the lines of “You should ask Mr. Novak out”. Charlie skimmed through them and grinned.

“Wow, Dean. You’re really not subtle.”

“Charlie. I can’t make this any clearer. We. Are. Friends. That’s it. I don’t get what you all seem to see and neither does Cas. Yes, he’s attractive, but I don’t have feelings for him and he doesn’t have feelings for me.”

“You know, kids can be really perceptive.”

“Charlie!”

“Okay, okay. Sorry. It’s just…it’s good to see you happy, Dean. I know you were pissed at Jo for posting that picture, but…I get why she did it. I can’t even remember the last time you looked that happy without being completely wasted. I just think…maybe give it a chance?”

“Give what a chance? I don’t think about him like that, and even if I did, I’m not getting involved with another teacher. Not again.”

“Dean, what happened with Bela—.”

“Was a perfect lesson in why you never get involved with coworkers.”

“Cas isn’t Bela.”

“Yeah, I know, and I’m gonna keep it that way. And we’re done with this conversation.

Forever. Me and Cas are friends. That’s it.” Charlie nodded.

“Okay. Sorry, Dean.” She left and Dean looked back at his laptop. The semester had officially ended two hours ago and his inbox was already blowing up with questions about class schedules for next semester. He shook his head. He didn’t want to deal with it right now. He wanted to go out and get drunk and stupid. His phone buzzed on his desk.

**Cas [5:18pm]:** You still coming tonight? 

**Dean [5:19pm]:** I guess

 **Cas [5:19pm]:** Problem?

 **Dean [5:20pm]:** Long day. I’ll be there. Someone’s gotta start karaoke.

 **Cas [5:21pm]:** Point. See you later Dean.

Dean stared at his phone. He really didn’t want to see Cas right now. Not after the conversation he’d just had with Charlie. He knew Cas wasn’t Bela, but Bela hadn’t been Bela until after they got together. He liked his friendship with Cas and he didn’t want to risk fucking it up. Especially since he was sure Cas didn’t feel anything for him beyond physical attraction. He groaned and put his head in his hands.

“Sorry, am I interrupting?” Dean looked up to see Sam standing in his doorway.

“No. What do you want?”

“Thought you might wanna smoke. You good?”

“Fine, and yes I wanna smoke.”

“You sure you’re good?” Sam asked once they’d lit up.

“Yeah, just been a long day.”

“You’re still coming out with us tonight, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. Wouldn’t be a party without me. Maybe I’ll actually be able to get laid tonight.”

“Yeah, you look like you could use it.”

“Understatement,” Dean muttered around his cigarette. “I need a fucking break, dude.”

“So take one. Semester just ended. Take a week and get yourself right. I can handle the emails.” Dean smiled a little.

“Thanks, Sammy.”

“Dude, it’s _Sam_ . Why? Why do you do that?”

“Because no matter how old or tall you get, you’ll always be my little brother.”

“I hate you.”

“I know.”

“I ran into Charlie.”

“Don’t. For the love of everything _do_ _not_. I can’t talk about this anymore. It’s getting weird. I don’t even wanna see him now after I talked to Charlie. I get that you guys want me to be happy and I _was_ . I had a friend that I felt really comfortable with and now it’s weird for both of us. Leave us alone. Please. I’m actually begging you, Sam. Leave it alone.”

“Okay. I hear you. And I’m sorry. You’re right. We should mind our own business. I’ll talk to everyone else.”

“Thanks, Sam.” Sam nodded. They finished their cigarettes and went back inside. Dean gathered everything from his office and got into Baby. Sam showed up ten minutes later and Dean drove them to their apartment.

“It feels like I haven’t been here in years,” Sam said, dropping his bag on a chair.

“I know.” Dean grabbed a beer from the fridge. “It’ll be nice to actually sleep in my own bed.”

“Still set on hooking up tonight?”

“I’m gonna fucking try. It’s been way too long and porn only helps so much.”

“And we’re done. I’ll see you at the bar.”

“Bye, bitch.”

“Later, jerk.” Sam left and Dean sat on the couch, leaning back against the cushions. He really didn’t want to go out, which was a first for him. He just wanted to drink a beer, watch some TV, and go to sleep. He was tired. Beyond tired. He finished his beer, dragged himself up, and started the walk to the Roadhouse.

“Hey, you showed up!”

“Always.” Dean forced a smile and gave Charlie a one-armed hug, kissing the top of her head.

“Hey!” Jo yelled from the bar. “Hands off my girlfriend, Winchester!”

“Bite me, Harvelle!” Dean shouted back with a grin. Charlie dragged him over to the tables everyone was occupying and Jo came over with some whiskey.

“You starting karaoke for us?” Meg asked.

“Yeah, but can I at least have _one_ drink first?”

“Sure. You’re more fun when you’re drunk anyway.” Dean rolled his eyes. He caught Cas’s eye. Cas smiled and Dean was hit with the sudden urge to vomit. His conversation with Charlie came back to him.

“Dean, are you all right?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine, Cas.” He stared down into his whiskey. He needed to leave, but he couldn’t do that without drawing attention to himself.

“Dean?” Now Adam was trying to get his attention.

“Gotta hit the head,” he said and slid out of the booth. He all but ran to the bathroom. He splashed some cold water on his face and stared at himself in the mirror. He had to get a grip.

Everything was fine. He was evening out his breathing when the door opened.

“Dean, are you sure you’re alright?”

“Just a little tired, Cas.” They made eye contact in the mirror and Dean felt the urge to vomit again. “Probably shouldn’t’ve come out tonight.”

“So go home. You’re not obligated to be here if you don’t feel well.” Dean turned around and crossed his arms loosely over his chest.

“Gotta keep up appearances, ya know? I’ll be fine.” Cas didn’t look convinced. He actually looked a little hurt.

“Then maybe I should go.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re uncomfortable around me. I know that’s not my fault, or your fault, but maybe we should just take a break from each other.”

“I’m not uncomfortable around you, Cas.”

“Yes, you are. And I have a feeling it’s not just because everyone keeps messing with us.” Dean could tell him the truth. He could tell him about his conversation with Charlie and about what happened with Bela, but why? It wouldn’t make any difference. He didn’t need a break from Cas. He needed a break from everyone else.

“I don’t need a break from you. I need a break from our friendship constantly being put under a microscope.”

“So what do we do?”

“Wanna get outta here? I’m kinda in the mood from some Chinese and a movie marathon. I could use some company.” Cas smiled softly. “Sure, Dean. I’d like that.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I swear I meant to post this before I went to work this morning, but I kept getting distracted (ADHD and not sleeping for 2 days do NOT mix). Sorry for the unusually late update, but I hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

It was weird. It was definitely weird. Or maybe it was just weird that it wasn’t weird. Dean had to be uncomfortable, but he wasn’t saying anything and Castiel really didn’t want to move. The Chinese food was long  gone and they were at the end of  their third Clint Eastwood movie. Castiel didn’t care much for Westerns, but Dean’s eyes had lit up like a kid on Christmas as he explained the plots of each movie before they watched  them and he couldn’t bring himself to say no. The movie ended and Castie l lifted his head from Dean’s shoulder to tell him he should probably get going. That’s when he realized that Dean was fast asleep. He was curled up against the arm of the couch, his head pillowed on his arm. His other arm was still around Castiel’s should ers. 

_ I should wake him up. He should be in bed and I should go back to my apartment _ . All logic was telling Castiel to leave. Dean was going to be furious when he woke up. He couldn’t bring himself to move though. Castiel rested his head against Dean’s sh oulder again and closed his eyes. 

The next time Castiel opened his eyes, he was still on the couch, but Dean was gone. He sat up and rubbed his eyes and realized he had been covered with a blanket. He blinked and looked around. The TV was  off and the smel l of bacon cooking was coming from the kitchen. He stood up, stretched, and followed the smell. Dean was standing in the kitchen, humming along to a Zeppelin song coming from somewhere. Castiel cleared his throat and Dean looked over. 

“Morning, Cas. Break fast?” 

“Um. Yes, I guess. Sorry I fell asleep. You could’ve woken me up.” Dean shrugged. 

“Seemed kinda pointless. I would’ve had to drive you home either way and I didn’t feel like driving in the middle of the night so…here we are.” 

“You don’t have to d rive me home.” 

“Well, it’s too far to walk and getting a cab around here is a bitch at best and the buses don’t run in the middle of the night.” Dean went back to his bacon and Castiel took a more thorough look around the kitchen. There was a plate stacke d with pancakes next to the stove, and a frying pan full of eggs. 

“Wow. You always cook like this?” 

“Over breaks, yeah. It’s just me and Sammy here and takeout can get expensive.” Dean took the bacon out of the pan. He brought everything over to the tabl e before shouting, “SAM! BREAKFAST!” 

“Are you sure he won’t mind me being here?” Castiel asked. Dean smirked. 

“Sam likes you, Cas. And it’s not the first time we’ve had breakfast with friends.” Dean had just poured three cups of coffee when Sam came stum bling out of his room. He yawned as he sat in the empty chair. 

“I’m hungover,” he grumbled, chugging his coffee. “Morning, Cas. Next time you can just crash in the guest room. It’s probably more comfortable than that couch.” Castiel felt a warm blush cree ping up his cheeks. 

“I am sorry about this.” 

“Don’t be,” Sam said. “Charlie crashes here all the time. So does Kevin. We’re used to it.” That made Castiel feel a little better, but he was almost completely sure that neither of them ever fell asleep on De an’s shoulder. 

Breakfast was quiet. Sam was still half asleep and very clearly dehydrated, and anything Castiel could think of to say needed to be said to Dean in private. When they were finished eating, Sam went to take a shower while Dean cleaned up the kitchen. 

“At least let me help,” Castiel said. 

“It’s fine,” Dean told him with a smile. “Let me get this done and I’ll drive you home.” 

“You really don’t have to. I can walk.” 

“Nah. I need some fresh air and Sam’s gonna be a bitch until his hangover g oes away, so I could use some time out of here.” Castiel didn’t argue. He figured it was pointless. Dean was stubborn and really, he didn’t want to walk or call Gabriel for a ride. He was already going to be interrogated when he got home. He took his phone out of his pocket and checked his messages. Sure enough, he had over two dozen unread messages in his group chat with Gabriel and Balthazar. He didn’t even bother to look at them. He already knew what they said. 

Once they were in Dean’s car, Dean rolled  his window down and lit a cigarette. Castiel did the same. The drive was quiet aside from the radio and Castiel occasionally giving directions. 

When Dean pulled up in front of the building, Castiel smiled. 

“Thank you, Dean.” 

“No problem, man. And  hey. I had fun last night. No one else wants to sit and watch  Eastwood movies with me. Not even Sam. So thanks for that.”

“You’re welcome, Dean.” Castiel couldn’t help smiling. 

“So, see you Wednesday?” 

“For what?” 

“Sparring and then lunch,” Dean said  like it should be obvious. 

“Oh.” Castiel hadn’t realized they would still be doing that over break. He smiled a little more. “Definitely. Goodbye, Dean.” 

“Bye, Cas.” Castiel got out of the car and headed up to his apartment. He had barely gotten the key  in the lock when the door was thrown open. 

“Where the fuck have you been?” Gabriel demanded. 

“Sorry,” Castiel said as he walked inside. “I was hanging out with a friend last night and I ended up sleeping on his couch.” 

“That friend wouldn’t be Dean Winc hester, would it?” Balthazar asked. 

“Yes, but it’s not like that. I just fell asleep.” 

“Yeah? Then why do you smell like bacon and pancakes?” Castiel rolled his eyes. 

“I had breakfast with Sam and Dean, and then Dean dropped me off.” Gabriel and Balthaz ar exchanged a look. 

“Yeah, people on this planet call that a date,” Balthazar said. 

“For the love of God, it wasn’t a date! We’re friends! Why does nobody understand that?” “Because the rest of us have eyes!” 

“Fuck off, Gabe.” Castiel grabbed his pack  of cigarettes off the counter and stormed onto the balcony. It was cold, but not freezing, and it was better than being inside. He loved Gabriel and Balthazar like family, but he hated that he couldn’t just live his life. He and Dean were friends. Closer f riends than he had ever thought they could be, but friends. And he was okay with that. The extent of Castiel’s feelings for Dean were physical. The extent of Dean’s feelings for him were physical. At most, they could be friends with benefits, but that  _ neve _ _ r _ worked, and Castiel didn’t want to jeopardize their working relationship by making an impulsive decision. 


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right guys, I'm posting in the middle of the night because I have to work in the morning and I'm gonna be dead tired when I get home. Enjoy y'all!

* * *

Dean leaned back in his chair and laughed.

“You’re just a sore loser.”

“Pot calling kettle black,” Cas laughed. “You caught me off guard.”

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you need to tell yourself.”

“I’m going to kick your ass next week.”

“Bring it on, angel.” Cas rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling.

“You’re an idiot.”

“I take that as a compliment.” Dean took a long drink from his coffee just as a waitress came over. She smiled.

“What can I get you boys today?” Dean looked at Cas.

“Feels like a burger day.”

“Every day feels like a burger day to you.”

“You know what? Blow me, Cas.” Dean smiled at the waitress. “Two bacon cheeseburgers with everything and add an egg to mine.”

“Sure thing, doll.” She walked away.

“Why must you always order for me?”

“Because otherwise you’ll get something boring, like a salad or some shit.”

“There’s nothing wrong with eating healthy once in a while, Dean.”

“Great. You can eat rabbit food the other six days of the week, but when you’re hanging out with me, you’re eating people food.” Cas just laughed and shook his head. Dean smiled. He had been worried that things would be weird between them after Cas spent the night at his apartment, but everything was fine. If anything they were better. Dean had felt a little guilty about falling asleep and he had thought about waking Cas up, but he couldn’t bring himself to. So instead, he just got up carefully, put a pillow under Cas’s head, covered him with a blanket, and went to bed.

He had been expecting Cas to be gone by the time he got up. When he wasn’t, it only seemed right to give him some breakfast and drive him home. Sam had given him hell about it when he got back to the apartment, but Dean had held firm on his stance that they were just friends, because they were. It wasn’t like Dean hadn’t fallen asleep watching movies with his friends before. Sam was reading too much into it.

“So are you coming out with everyone on Friday?”

“Maybe,” Dean said. “I’ll see how I feel. I was just really tired last week.”

“Physically or tired of everyone interrogating you every time we fucking breathe near each other?” Dean had to laugh at that.

"Both. I swear, they’re not usually like this. Usually I’m allowed to, ya know, have friends. I think they’re just trying to find an excuse for why I haven’t hooked up in, like, three months.”

“Dry spell?”

“Yeah, but it’s normal during the beginning of the school year. I don’t have time to have a life outside the school and I’m okay with that. I also just haven’t met anyone I wanna hook up with. I feel like that shouldn’t be a crime.”

“It isn’t, Dean. Has it occurred to you that maybe you’re just tired of one-night stands?”

“Well, I’m not ready for a serious relationship, believe me, I tried that, so it’s random people at bars, or it’s nothing.” Cas shrugged.

“It was just a thought. So you’ve been in a serious relationship?” Dean nodded.

"Last year. With one of the other teachers. Bela Talbot. We’d been flirting on and off for about two years and I finally decided to ask her out. It was awesome for a while, but…stuff happened. Things got bad. She broke up with me and quit at the end of the year and just disappeared. I never thought getting involved with a coworker was a good idea and she just confirmed it for me.” Cas nodded solemnly.

“I’m sorry you went through that. I’ve always thought it was a bad idea to get involved with coworkers, too. Too many things can go wrong and it just gets awkward for everyone.”

“Exactly!” Dean grinned. “See, you get it! Thank you!” Cas gave him a small smile.

“I’m glad we agree on that.” They made eye contact and Dean leaned forward on the table a little. He was getting lost in a sea of blue when someone said, “Hi, Dean! Hi, Castiel!” Dean jumped, then smiled.

“Hey, Jack. What’s up?”

"Meeting some of my friends for lunch.”

“It’s good that you’re staying in touch over break,” Cas said. “Have you started on your project?”

“I was going to talk to Eliot about that when he gets here,” Jack said. “Anyway, I just wanted to say hi.”

“Have a good break, kid,” Dean said before Jack walked away. He looked at Cas. “Seriously? We’re five days into vacation and you’re grilling him about homework?”

“I was just curious,” Cas said. “I’ll be sending out reminder emails on Friday.”

“God, you’re one of those people. School is important, but they’re kids.”

“They’re young adults.”

"Whatever. Let them have fun. At least for a few weeks.”

“I’m sorry, are you telling me how to do my job?”

“I’m telling you to maybe just ease up a little. You don’t have to be the tough teacher just because you’re new.”

Lunch was filled with light conversation and the usual amount of playful banter. Dean dropped Cas off at his apartment then drove home. The apartment was empty when he got there, which meant Sam was probably spending time with Eileen. Dean smiled to himself. He was happy for his brother. Sam and Eileen had been dancing around each other for four years. He was still of the opinion that coworkers shouldn’t date, but he couldn’t see anything bad happening between Sam and Eileen, even if they did break up.

He and Bela had been a bad idea from the start, and Dean knew it. He knew it going in, but he didn’t care because she was ridiculously hot, scary smart, and that British accent did something to him. They were doomed from the start, but a small part of Dean really believed they could make it work. They couldn’t. They were both too stubborn and hardheaded. And Bela was a manipulative, thieving bitch, but that was beside the point.

Dean changed into some sweats, then pulled a beer out of the fridge and dropped onto the couch. He pulled up his Netflix list and clicked on something random. He wasn’t really in the mood to watch anything, he just needed some background noise. He took his phone out of his pocket. He had one unread message.

**Cas [3:02pm]:** And so it begins

 **Dean [3:14pm]:** Gabe and Balt interrogating you?

 **Cas [3:15pm]:** Yes. Please come save me.

 **Dean [3:16pm]:** Sorry angel. I’ve already put on my sweatpants. Once the jeans come off that’s it. I don’t leave the house again.

 **Cas [3:16pm]:** IT’S 3 IN THE AFTERNOON!

 **Dean [3:17pm]:** I am on vacation and you will not speak to me in that tone of text **Cas [3:17pm]:** Well, someone’s bossy. Sorry, sir. 

Dean bit his lip. This was venturing into dangerous territory. A part of him wanted to see how far it would go. The other part of him knew he should put a stop to it.

**Dean [3:18pm]:** Apology accepted. I’ll see ya Friday, Cas.

 **Cas [3:18pm]:** See you Friday, Dean


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost 1am and I have to work all day tomorrow. I hate working 2 jobs. Enjoy these two idiots being idiots!

* * *

“Really, Gabe?” Castiel shook his head, dislodging the snow from his hair.

“I did tell you to duck,” Balthazar said. Castiel packed a snowball and lobbed it across the field, hitting Gabriel in the shoulder.

“Hey!”

“You started it!” Castiel was about to throw another snowball when he got hit in the back of the head. At first he thought Balthazar had gotten him until he heard a familiar laugh. He turned around and saw Dean grinning. “Okay, seriously, Dean?!”

“Sorry. I saw you do it and it looked like fun.”

“So you aim for the enemy!” Dean walked closer, dropping to his knees in the snow beside Castiel, behind the wall he’d built.

“Who’s the enemy? The short guy and the British guy?”

“Yes. Gabriel’s the short one. Balthazar’s the British one.”

“Got it.” Dean stood up and shouted, “Time out!” Castiel got to his feet. Gabriel popped up from behind his fort and Balthazar stepped out from behind a tree.

“What for?”

“What are we playing for?”

“Fun!” Gabriel yelled.

“Seriously? You guys are so boring. Losers buy drinks at the bar after. You two against me and Cas.” Gabriel and Balthazar exchanged a look and shrugged.

“You’re on!” Gabriel ducked back behind his fort. Balthazar followed him. Dean grabbed Castiel’s arm and pulled him into the snow.

“You’re such an idiot,” Castiel said.

“You won’t be saying that when we get free drinks.”

“Dean, why does everything have to be a competition with you?”

“It’s all in good fun, Cas,” Dean said. He rolled a few snowballs. “You know, this is a lot easier with a slingshot.”

“Did you and Sam have snowball fights?” Castiel asked as he packed his own snowballs.

Dean grinned.

“Whatever Dad left us alone at a motel and there was snow on the ground, we would build a snowman and then throw snowballs at it until the head came off.”

“Why?”

“Because it was fun. Sam liked to make snow angels. I threw icicles like javelins.”

“That does sound like fun.” Dean huffed a laugh.

“Yeah. All fun and games until you accidentally hit Dad’s car with an icicle and scratch the paint a little.” Castiel looked over, but Dean was staring at the snowball in his hands. He was clearly remembering something painful, but before Castiel could ask about it, a snowball hit the fort.

“So, can I ask? The plan?” Dean grinned.

“All right. First, we need to build up the walls on this thing. Not much protection. Once we’re done with that, I’m gonna distract them while you go around. Get them from behind.”

“How am I supposed to do that without being seen?”

“I’ll show you when we get to it. For now, build up that wall.”

*** *** ***

Two hours later, it was all over. Gabriel and Balthazar were on their backs in the snow yelling surrender as Castiel and Dean pelted snowballs at them.

“Game over!” Gabriel yelled. “You win! Stop!” Dean slung his arm around Castiel’s shoulders and tossed his last snowball into the air.

“Told you we’d win.” Castiel held out his hand and pulled Gabriel to his feet. Dean did the same for Balthazar.

“Well, I can see why Cassie likes you so much,” Gabriel said.

“We’ll meet you at the bar in twenty,” Dean said.

“Sounds good. Gives me some time to defrost my extremities.” Gabriel and Balthazar headed in the direction of Gabriel’s car. Castiel looked at Dean.

“I just realized you’re here by yourself. Why were you in the park alone?” Dean shrugged.

“I like to walk sometimes. Clear my head.” He leaned against a tree and took his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. “Did you guys really come here just to have a snowball fight?”

“No. Gabriel wanted to build a snowman, I wanted to get out of the apartment, and Balthazar didn’t want to be left out. Gabriel threw a snowball at me and it was downhill from there.” “Well, we get free drinks now.” Castiel breathed out some smoke.

“I do enjoy free drinks.” They made eye contact and Dean smiled a little. They finished their cigarettes and walked to Dean’s car. “I like this car.”

“Yeah, she’s just about the best thing about me.” Dean started the engine and ran his hand along the dashboard before driving to the bar. Gabriel and Balthazar were sitting at a table near the back. Dean sat next to Gabriel and Castiel slid in beside Balthazar.

“Took you two long enough,” Gabriel muttered.

“So sorry to have kept you waiting,” Castiel said, rolling his eyes. Jo came over and set a plate of chili cheese fries in front of Dean.

“I saw you walk in. Why are you four all wet?”

“Snowball fight,” Dean answered. “We won!”

“You really are a child,” Jo said. “What can I get you guys?” They gave Jo their orders and she walked away. Gabriel sipped his drink.

“Well, it’s good to finally meet you, Dean. Cassie talks about you all the time.”

“Gabe!” Castiel snapped. Dean laughed.

“Good to know you find me so interesting. It’s good to meet you guys, too. You’re not as annoying as Cas tells me.”

“Oh, trust me, we are,” Gabriel said. “You just haven’t spent enough time with us yet.”

“Well, a group of us hang out here on Friday nights. You guys can come if you want.”

“Yes!” Castiel groaned.

“I’m going to regret introducing you to each other, aren’t I?”

“Probably,” Gabriel said with a grin.

Gabriel and Balthazar left an hour later, leaving Castiel alone with Dean. Dean finished off his second glass of whiskey.

“Your friends are cool.

“My friends are morons, but they’re like family to me.” Castiel smiled. “And I’m glad you like them, but did you have to invite them here on Fridays? They’re going to be a nightmare around everyone else.” Dean grinned.

“Good. Our group could use some new blood. We’re stagnating.” Castiel chuckled. They made eye contact and Dean’s smile got a little softer. Castiel felt his tongue flick over his lips and Dean’s gaze drifted down.

“Can I get you guys anything else?” Jo asked, breaking the moment.

“Pie,” Dean said.

“Apple or cherry?”

“Making me choose is cruel and unusual punishment.”

“So get both,” Castiel said. Dean and Jo both looked at him. Dean was grinning again. Jo looked like she was biting back a smile.

“Cas, don’t encourage him.” She walked away and came back two minutes later with two plates of pie and two forks. “If you don’t share these with him, I will kill you, Dean.” Jo walked away again.

“You don’t have to share if you don’t want to,” Castiel said.

“Cas, it would be a crime to get two pieces of pie and not let you at least taste them. Here.” Dean picked up some of the apple pie with his fork and held it out. Castiel leaned across the table and wrapped his lips around the fork. He wasn’t sure what possessed him to do it, but the expression on Dean’s face told him it was the right thing to do. “Good?” Dean asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Delicious.”

“Good.” They finished their pie over idle conversation and by the time Dean was driving him back to his apartment, Castiel was trying to ignore the growing feeling in the pit of his stomach.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus chapter this week because I love you guys! Merry Christmas!

* * *

Dean stared up at his ceiling. He couldn’t sleep. He had been laying in bed for three hours and he couldn’t sleep. He rolled over and picked his phone up off his nightstand. It was two in the morning. No one else would be awake. He opened his messages anyway.

**Dean [2:14am]:** I know you’re probably asleep but I can’t sleep and I’m bored. Wanna talk? 

He wasn’t expecting a response, so he was startled when his phone buzzed in his hand a minute later.

**Cas [2:15am]:** I can’t sleep either. Is it weird if I call you?

 **Dean [2:15am]:** Not at all 

A moment later Dean’s phone lit up with a call from Cas.

“Hey, Cas.”

“Hello, Dean.” His voice sounded different somehow. Rougher. Deeper. Dean bit his lip and stretched out on his bed.

“So, what’s got you up at two in the morning?”

“Take your pick. I’ve got Gabriel loudly singing off-key in the living room and I’ve got Balthazar loudly having sex in the room right next to mine. This house is a nightmare.” Dean laughed.

“Well, you’re more than welcome to come crash here, if you want. If you don’t mind Sam’s chainsaw snoring.” Cas laughed too.

“Thank you, Dean. I might just take you up on that. Why are you awake?”

“I just can’t sleep. I’ve been laying here for hours and I just…can’t sleep.”

“Maybe you should try going for a walk.”

“It’s, like, twenty degrees outside, Cas.”

“It was just a thought. Sometimes fresh air can help.” Dean considered that. It actually wasn’t a bad idea, but he didn’t like the idea of going to the park by himself in the middle of the night.

“Come with me?” he asked before he could stop himself.

“Oh. Uh. Sure. Of course. Where?”

“Let’s meet at the park in fifteen. By the lake.”

“Okay.”

“Okay. See ya.” Dean ended the call and threw on the first clothes he could find. He wrapped a scarf around his neck, laced his boots, pulled on his jacket, and started the walk to the park. He got there first, so he sat on a bench and lit a cigarette. He stared up at the sky and watched the clouds. It was actually a nice night. It was cold, but the moon was out, washing everything in a silvery-white light.

“Can you name any constellations?” Dean jumped at the sound of Cas’s voice. He looked up and smiled. Cas was standing next to the bench, staring up at the sky.

“Yeah. Sam had an astrology phase when he was, like, eight. He would stay up all night, just watching the sky. I’d stay out there with him just to make sure he was okay, and so he’d have someone to ramble to about outer-space.” Cas looked down and returned the smile.

“That’s very sweet of you. You’re a good brother.” Dean broke eye contact to stare at the lake. He felt a hand on his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just…no one’s ever said that to me before.” Dean forced himself to look at Cas again. “I mean, Sam always used to tell me I was the best big brother, but…he didn’t have anything to compare it to. And all my dad ever said was that it was my job to look out for Sam. He never told me I was good at it.” Cas dropped onto the bench, his hand moving from Dean’s shoulder down to his bicep.

“Well, I don’t have any experience with siblings, older or younger, but I think the fact that you stayed up all night with Sam and listened to him talk about something he loved, even though you weren’t interested in it, says a lot about who you are.”

“Yeah? So who am I, Cas?”

“Well, when I first met you, I thought you were the kind of guy that everybody’s mother warned them about. You know, the whole bad boy aesthetic.” Dean barked a laugh. He couldn’t help it.

“Sorry. You’re not wrong about my aesthetic, I just never thought about it before. Sorry, continue.”

“Now that I’ve gotten to know you, you’re kind, smart, funny. You genuinely care about the people around you and the way you are with your students is incredible. Guess it’s true. You should never judge a book by its cover.” Cas’s smile was warm. Dean flicked his cigarette butt into the snow. The moonlight caught Cas’s eyes, turning them from blue to almost silver. Dean bit his lip, trying desperately to think of something to say before he did something stupid.

“Why do you always wear this coat?” he asked, tugging at the lapel of Cas’s trench coat.

“Oh. I’m assuming you’re asking because it’s too big.” Dean nodded, but really it was just the first thing that popped into his head. “It’s the first thing Gabriel gave to me when we met. I had nothing when I first met him and Balthazar. Just the clothes on my back and they had seen better days. I tried to refuse, but Gabe insisted on taking me shopping. He bought me this because he said it fit my personality. It’s always been a little big, but I’ve kept it ever since. It was the first time anyone ever showed me any kindness without expecting anything in return.” Cas’s gaze had drifted to the lake while he’d been talking. Dean tugged on his coat to get his attention. When Cas looked at him again, his eyes were a little glassy.

“I’m sorry for the way I treated you when we first met. And don’t tell me it’s fine because it’s not. I should’ve taken the time to get to know you instead of jumping to conclusions.” “Open mind,” Cas joked. Dean half-smiled.

“Yeah. We teach that to all our kids. I should practice it. I’m also sorry for beating the hell out of you. I mean that. I shouldn’t’ve picked a fight with you to begin with and I should’ve stopped before I went too far. I could’ve seriously hurt you.” Dean broke eye contact again. He felt like shit for the way he’d acted. He was beginning to wonder why Cas was friends with him at all. 

“Thank you, Dean. I appreciate the apology. I’m sorry, too. What happened between us wasn’t entirely on you. We both said and did some pretty stupid stuff. But it’s behind us now and I’m happy that I can call you a friend.” Dean smiled a little.

“I’m glad we’re friends, too.” He stood up and tucked his hands into his pockets. “Come on.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy more idiots in love!

Castiel tucked his hands into his pockets as he and Dean walked along the small lake. It was cold, but he didn’t really mind. He also didn’t mind the quiet that had settled over them. They had talked about a few heavy topics while they were sitting on the bench. A little silence was okay. Dean seemed perfectly at peace, staring up at the sky as they walked along, and Castiel couldn’t help looking at him every few minutes. He also couldn’t help the small smile on his face.

They stopped by a clump of trees and Dean lit a cigarette. Castiel followed suit and leaned back against a tree. Dean stood next to him, their shoulders pressed together. The warmth coming from Dean stirred something deep in Castiel’s stomach. He breathed out some smoke, trying to tamp it back down.

“I like the park at night,” Dean said. “It’s quiet. Kinda feels like we’re the only two people in the world.” Castiel looked over, but Dean wasn’t looking at him. He was still watching the sky.

“Would you like to get some coffee?” He wasn’t sure where the question came from, but before he could take it back, Dean smiled at him.

“Yeah, I’d like that.” They walked to the diner in companionable silence and got a table next to the windows.

“Hey, boys. It’s a little late.” Dean smiled at Jody. Over the last few months, they had become regulars at the 24-hour diner and made friends with the owner. Castiel liked her. She was sweet and she always called them “boys” even though they were both well into their thirties.

“Never too late for coffee. And maybe a slice of pie.” Jody smiled.

“Coming right up.”

“Maybe you should eat something other than pie.” Dean gasped.

“Bite your tongue! Pie is sacred.” Castiel laughed.

“Have I mentioned lately that you’re an idiot?”

“I’m sure you have.” Dean’s phone pinged. He slid it out of his pocket.

“Problem?”

“Nope. Sam just woke up for his morning run and wants to know where I am.” Castiel took out his own phone and realized it was nearing five in the morning. He had a few unread messages.

**Gabriel [2:53am]:** You coming home tonight?

 **Gabriel [3:28am]:** The fuck are you doing?

 **Gabriel [4:02am]:** Nobody takes a walk for this long. I want details later.

 **Gabriel [4:41am]:** Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do ;)

Castiel rolled his eyes and shook his head as he put his phone back in his pocket. There was very little Gabriel wouldn’t do. Not that it mattered. He and Dean were just hanging out. There was no way for him to explain that to Gabriel or Balthazar. They just didn’t understand that two people could have a close friendship without it being anything more than that.

“You okay over there?” Dean’s voice brought Castiel out of his head.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Gabriel was blowing up my phone earlier, but I had it on silent.”

“I was wondering about that. Were you able to get out of your apartment without an interrogation?”

“Kind of. I mean, Balthazar was in his room, so I only had to deal with Gabriel and he was drunk. I told him I was going for a walk. I didn’t even mention you, but I guess he just assumed. He does that.”

“Well, it was an accurate assumption. Cas, do you have any other friends you hang out with?”

“Not really. I mean, not one-on-one like this, anyway. I talk to Charlie and Meg almost every day, and I have an email exchange going with Kevin while I’m helping him with his paper on Enochian, but…you’re the only person I hang out with on a regular basis. I like spending time with you.” It sounded ridiculously cheesy, but Dean was still smiling.

“I like spending time with you, too. I feel like I finally have a friend that gets me. I mean, don’t get me wrong. Charlie gets the nerdy parts of me. The LARPing and the sci-fi show references. But I feel like you get the important parts of me. I can talk to you the way I talk to Sam. Better, actually. Because Sam will always be my little brother, which means he’ll always be just a little bit of an asshole whenever I try to talk about something real. I guess that’s my own fault. Anyway, I’ve never had a friend that I could actually talk to before. It’s nice.” Dean liked to ramble in the early hours of the morning, Castiel realized. He also realized he didn’t mind it so much.

“I’m glad I can be that for you,” he said just before Jody came back with their coffee and Dean’s pie.

“Let me know if I can get you boys anything else.”

“Thanks, Jody.” Dean dug into his pie while Castiel sipped his coffee. “You want some of this, angel?” That was something Castiel was still getting used to. It didn’t happen often, but every once in a while, Dean would call him angel. It didn’t bother him, it just caught him off guard.

“I’m honored, but it’s okay. I know how much you cherish your pie.” Dean grinned and continued eating. Castiel stared out the window. It had started snowing. The sky was spitting little white flakes that melted before they hit the ground. There would probably be a light layer of fresh snow later in the day. The thought made Castiel smile. He liked winter. There was something magical about fresh-fallen snow.

“Guess we ducked in here just in time,” Dean commented.

“I don’t know. I like snow.”

“Do you want me to walk you home?” Castiel pulled his gaze away from the window and noticed that Dean had practically inhaled his pie. He couldn’t help laughing.

“Can you even taste your food?”

“Fuck off, Novak.” Dean took out his wallet and dropped some money on the table. They stood together and walked out onto the sidewalk. “You never answered my question.” Right.

Castiel shrugged.

“I wouldn’t say no.”

“Good.” Silence settled over them once again as they walked towards Castiel’s apartment. Every third or fourth step, Dean’s hand would brush against his at their sides, and Castiel tried not to think about how badly he wanted to reach out and take it.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3am update because I have to work all day and I have no idea when I'll be able to get back to my laptop. So enjoy and please pray for me because 13 hours is way too long to work.

Dean put the finishing touches on the fake tree Sam insisted they put up every year and stood back to admire his handy work. It was almost perfect.

“Hey, Gigantor!” he shouted towards the kitchen. Sam walked out a minute later holding a tray of cookies.

“Looks good, Dean.”

“Yeah, I know.” He held out the little ceramic star. “Put this on top for me.”

“Dude, you literally have to reach up, like, an inch.” Sam set the tray of cookies on the coffee table and took the star from Dean. While he was situating it on the top of the tree, Dean took a few cookies. Sam didn’t say anything. It was a yearly ritual for them at this point.

“I can’t believe Christmas is next week,” Dean said, following his brother back into the kitchen.

“I know. Eileen said she’s gonna come over a little early to help us set up.”

“Yeah, Charlie said the same thing.”

“You invited Cas, right?”

“Shit.” Dean knew he had been forgetting something. He shoved the rest of his cookie into his mouth and took his phone out of his pocket. He opened his messages.

**Dean [3:10pm]:** Hey Cas. I know this is like super last minute and that’s my fault but me and Sam host Christmas at our place for all the students and staff who don’t have families to go home to. You’re more than welcome to come if you’d like. Gabe and Balthazar can come too.

 **Cas [3:12pm]:** That sounds great Dean. We’ll be there.

 **Dean [3:13pm]:** Awesome! 

Dean smiled. He hadn’t been sure if he should get Cas a Christmas present, but everyone who confirmed they were coming got a present. That’s how it worked. Gabriel and Balthazar would be easy. They were pretty simple people. Cas though. Dean had no idea what to get him.

He took a deep breath to keep himself calm. He had a week. He could do this.

*** *** ***

“What do you look so nervous about?” Charlie asked, handing him a cup of spiked eggnog.

“He’s been like that all week,” Sam said from across the room.

“Shut up!” Dean could feel his cheeks getting hot. “It’s nothing, Charlie. I’m fine.” She didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t press the subject either, and for that Dean was grateful. Sam wasn’t wrong. He had been a nervous wreck all week. Ever since he had decided what he was getting Cas. He was worried he wouldn’t like it. Or that he might read too much into it. Or that everyone else might read too much into it. He was also wondering if Cas had gotten him anything. Cas had called him four days ago in a panic, asking if they had to bring gifts.

“Usually everyone brings something for everyone, but you’re new and I didn’t give you very much advance notice, so you don’t have to unless you want to,” Dean had told him before giving him a list of all the people who would be there. He honestly wasn’t expecting anything, but he was curious.

“Dude, those cookies are for everyone!” Sam said.

“Sam, cut him some slack,” Adam said. “You know he eats when he’s stressed.”

“I’m not stressed,” Dean grumbled around a mouthful of cookie. He took a long drink from his eggnog. He knew he had to pace himself. He didn’t make a habit of getting drunk in front of his kids, vacation or not. In total, there were about twenty people in the apartment at the moment. Cas, Gabriel, and Balthazar were the only ones missing. There was a knock at the door and Dean went to answer it, if only to get away from everyone for a minute.

“Hey, Deano!” Gabriel said with a grin.

“Hi, Gabe. Hi, Balthazar. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” Balthazar said, and he and Gabriel disappeared into the living room, leaving Dean alone with Cas. Cas’s arms were laden with bags, but he smiled.

“Hello, Dean. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Cas. Let me help you.” He took some of the bags and glanced inside. “You really didn’t have to get anyone anything.”

“I would’ve felt bad. Is everyone else already here?”

“Yup. They’re in the living room. We’ve got cookies and candy and eggnog on the coffee table. Go easy if you opt for spiked eggnog. We’ll have dinner in about an hour and then presents. Until then, mingle and have fun.” Dean put Cas’s presents with everyone else’s, patted him on the shoulder, and ducked into the kitchen. He was surprised when Cas followed him.

“Any chance you need any help in here? Sorry, I’m just…not much of a party person.” Dean smiled a little.

“Sure, Cas. You can hang out in here until you feel ready to be with people.”

“Thanks.” Cas leaned against the counter. “So, you and Sam do this every year?”

“Yup! It started out small. Just dinner with some of our friends, but once the school got off the ground, more and more kids without homes to go back to started showing up and we figured, what the hell? Why not give them Christmas? This is actually pretty small compared to other years. Usually we have to use the cafeteria at school.”

“That’s really nice of you,” Cas said with a warm smile. “These kids are lucky they have you in their lives.” Dean blushed for the second time in the span of twenty minutes.

“Yeah, well…anyway.” Before he could continue his sentence, Benny came into the kitchen.

“All right, out. This is my space.” Dean laughed.

“Dude, it’s my kitchen!”

“Unless you plan on helping, out.” Dean looked at Cas.

“Guess we’re leaving. Come on.” It took a little while, but Cas eventually loosened up to the point that Dean wasn’t worried about leaving him alone so he could check on Benny. They ate dinner around five and an hour later, the coffee table was pushed into the corner and everyone was sitting in a circle. Sam and Dean were sitting on the couch, passing around presents.

“This one’s from me, Red,” Dean said, tossing the box to Charlie. She caught it and ripped the paper off.

“Are these pride multi-sided dice?” Dean grinned.

“Only the best for my Queen.”

“Thank you very much, my loyal Hand Maiden.” They both laughed and Charlie stood up to hug him. “I love you, Dean.”

“I know, kiddo.” Presents went on for an hour and a half. Most of the kids got things like video games and gift cards. That was standard. Everyone else pretty much got things that matched them.

“All right, last two,” Sam said. He handed one of the boxes to Cas and one to Dean. “From Dean to Cas, and Cas to Dean.”

“Gee, I wonder how that happened,” Dean muttered, side-eyeing his brother. Sam smiled innocently and shrugged.

“Just open it, jerk.” Dean held his tongue. He would call Sam a bitch later, once everyone had left. He slipped up a few times, but he was always cautious about the language he used in front of his kids. Dean pulled off the paper and lifted the lid on the box. He stared for no less than a minute before his hand covered his mouth.

“Oh my, God,” he breathed.

“What?” Charlie asked. “What is it? Come on, Dean!” Dean reached into the box and gingerly picked up the record. Charlie audibly gasped.

“Oh my, God. Cas, where did you get that?” Dean looked over at Cas, who was staring intently at the floor. Before he could say anything, Gabriel said,

“Hey, I remember when you bought that! We were at a garage sale in Denver about three years ago.”

“Yes, Gabe,” Cas said, finally looking up at Dean. His smile was shy. “I bought it because Gabriel neglected to tell me that the record player in his trunk was broken. I held on to it thinking I’d eventually get to listen to it. When you told me it was the only Led Zeppelin album you didn’t have on vinyl, well…”

“That’s _fate_ ,” Claire said, grinning. “Oh my, God.” Dean ignored her, opting instead to drop to his knees in front of Cas and hug him tightly. He knew everyone was staring at them, but he didn’t care at the moment. He also knew he was crying a little, but he didn’t care about that either.

“Thank you,” he whispered into Cas’s hair. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re very welcome, Dean,” Cas replied, and Dean could hear the soft smile in his voice.

They drew apart and Dean cleared his throat.

“Well, I guess you can open mine now.” Cas unwrapped the little box and took the lid off. He smiled a little more.

“You know, I should’ve guessed.”

“Did he get you porn?” Meg asked.

“Meg!” the rest of the adults in the room snapped.

“There are children,” Charlie said.

“We’re not children,” Aidan said, craning his neck, trying to see what was in the box. Cas took the mixtape out of the box.

“You made him a mixtape,” Claire said.

“Oh, Dean,” Kaia said.

“Wow,” Krissy mouthed.

“All right, well, I think it’s time we all get going,” Kevin said. It wasn’t a bad idea. It was nearing eight o’clock and they still had to clean up.

“Okay, kiddos, carpool time!” Charlie said, getting to her feet. She herded everyone out into the hallway and started organizing the carpooling while everyone else pitched in to at least pick up the explosion of wrapping paper. It was well past midnight by the time Dean sank into the couch cushions with a beer and the last of the Christmas cookies. The record Cas had given him was playing low in the room. Sam sat beside him.

“Merry Christmas, Dean.”

“Merry Christmas, Sammy.”


	26. Chapter 26

* * *

“What are we doing for New Years?” Gabriel asked, dropping onto the couch. Castiel was looking at his phone, staring at the text he’d just gotten from Dean.

**Dean [5:42pm]:** New Year’s Eve party at the Roadhouse. You guys in? 

He turned his phone to show Gabriel the screen. Gabriel grinned.

“Oh, hell yes!”

“I feel like it’s weird to be spending holidays with people we barely know,” Castiel said as he typed out a response.

**Castiel [5:43pm]:** Gabriel said hell yes so I guess we’re in. See you Thursday. 

**Dean [5:43pm]:** Awesome! 

“Maybe, but you said it yourself that they’re basically a family. Guess they consider new people family, too. And they’re cool.” Gabriel wasn’t wrong about that. Working at the school was one of the best decisions Castiel had ever made. They _were_ a family and Castiel had never had that before.

“Well, you have three days to learn how to act like a person.” Gabriel laughed.

“Please, Cassie. They’re used to me by now. I can’t just go changing my personality. Besides, you love me.”

“I despise you,” Castiel said with a smile. Gabriel punched his arm.

“Come on. Real talk, what’s up with you and Dean? I mean, I never thought you’d part with that album for anything in the world.”

“Nothing, Gabe. For the millionth time, we’re friends.”

“Dude, I thought he was gonna cry when he opened that box. You can’t tell me this is still just friends.” Castiel didn’t bother to point out that Dean actually had been crying. It wasn’t important.

“I don’t get involved with coworkers and neither does he. Not that that matters since I don’t have feelings for him and he doesn’t have feelings for me. Why do we have to keep having this same fight?” Gabriel held up his hands in surrender.

“Okay, I’ll stop, but maybe you should just think about it.” Castiel turned his attention to the TV, ignoring him. There wasn’t anything to think about. He and Dean were friends. Hell, Dean was the best friend Castiel had ever had, Gabriel and Balthazar included. There was a bond there that he had never felt before. It was nice, and he didn’t want to lose it just because the rest of their friends were trying to make it more than it was.

*** *** ***

Thursday came way too quickly. Or maybe it just felt that way because Castiel spent Tuesday arguing with Gabriel and Balthazar about glitter of all fucking things, and he spent Wednesday sparring with Dean and then sharing a piece of pie over coffees at the diner. By the time Thursday rolled around, Castiel almost forgot it was New Year’s Eve. They got to the bar around ten, and Gabriel and Balthazar broke off to go mingle. Castiel stayed at the bar for a minute. He was used to his friend group, but he still wasn’t a fan of loud places.

“Heya, Cas.” Castiel smiled automatically.

“Hello, Dean.”

“Why so sad?” Dean asked, sitting beside him. “No one to kiss at midnight?”

“Huh. I hadn’t even thought about that. I’ve never kissed anyone at midnight.” Dean’s eyes widened.

“What?” Castiel shrugged.

“I’ve never really been in a relationship like that and I usually spend New Year’s Eve with Gabe and Balt. I love them dearly, but not like that, and there isn’t enough alcohol in the world.” Dean laughed.

“That’s fair. All right, tonight’s mission: find someone for you to kiss. And if you can’t find anyone you actually wanna kiss, Meg has no problem kissing lonely people. It’s her thing.”

“I don’t need a pity kiss, Dean. And you don’t have to waste your night with me.” Dean smiled softly.

“Hanging out with you is never a waste of my time. Hey, if all else fails, I’m sure Jo won’t mind giving us a couple bottles of liquor to kiss instead.” That got Castiel to laugh.

“I don’t think I’m quite that desperate.”

“Yes, you are,” Gabriel said from his left. Castiel looked over.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“About ten seconds. I’m with Dean on this. We’re gonna find you someone to kiss.” Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows and Castiel shoved him.

“Go make bad decisions with Balthazar instead of bothering me.” Gabriel slung his arm around his shoulders.

“Oh, Cassie. You act like I can’t do both.” He laughed and walked away. Castiel turned back to Dean and saw he was laughing, too.

“Oh, shut up.” Dean laughed harder.

“I’m sorry, dude. It’s just funny. Why does he call you Cassie?”

“I don’t know. He’s always called me that. Since the day we met.”

“Strange man.”

“Agreed. So what are we drinking?”

“Hm. Jo! Whiskey or bourbon?”

“Why don’t you try something colorful for once in your life?” Jo answered, sliding two brightly colored shots down the bar. Dean eyed one of them wearily.

“What?” Castiel asked. “Are you afraid it might be poisoned?”

“With her, ya never know.”

“Would it make you feel better if I drank one first?”

“For the love of God, Dean,” Jo said. “I’m not trying to poison you. I didn’t even make them. Charlie did.”

“Oh. Why didn’t you just say that?” He picked up one of the glasses and tossed it back. “Oh, God. What’s in these?”

“No idea. She wouldn’t tell me. She just said they were gonna make tonight more fun.” Dean’s face paled a little and Castiel couldn’t help laughing. “Oh, calm down. If you pass out, Cas’ll catch you.”

“Yeah, if he’s sober enough,” Dean shot back as Jo walked away.

“You really have so little faith in me, Dean?”

“Nah, I know you won’t let me hit the ground. And I trust Charlie not to drug me.”

“I appreciate that,” Charlie said from Dean’s other side.

“Okay, new rule,” Dean said after nearly jumping out of his skin. “No more sneaking up on us like that. That goes for everyone.” Charlie cackled.

“So skittish.” She put her hand on his arm and kissed his cheek. “Have fun, guys!” She disappeared into the crowd. Dean looked at his phone.

“All right. We’ve got an hour and a half until midnight. Let’s do this.”

By 11:58, Dean had given up. Castiel had given up around eleven and stayed at the bar, nursing a vodka tonic. He was enjoying himself, even if it didn’t look like he was. He was perfectly happy soaking it all in without actually being a part of anything. Dean found his way back to the bar, looking like someone shot a puppy.

“Sorry, dude. No luck. Looks like we’re kissing bottles tonight.”

“You don’t have to sit here with me,” Castiel said, looking over at the crowd of people gathered around one of the TVs to watch the ball drop.

“Cas, if I wanted to be over there, I would be. I love my friends, but they can be a little much when they’re all drunk like that. I don’t wanna accidentally do something stupid.”

“Are you that drunk?” Dean only nodded, his head bobbing a little more than necessary. Castiel smiled a little. He was drunk, too. A little too drunk to notice that they were staring at each other. A little too drunk to realize they were drifting closer with every passing second. And a little too drunk to stop it when Dean’s lips slid against his just as the clock struck midnight.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm exhausted and I have to be up for work in 3 hours, but I can't sleep, so here's an update. Please enjoy!

* * *

“Shut up, Sam.”

“I didn’t say anything!” Sam said from his place on the couch. Dean rolled his eyes as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

“I can hear you thinking at me.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just happy for you.”

“Why? I just fucked up the best friendship I’ve ever had.”

“Dean. Real talk right now. I know that, to you, that record was as good as a marriage proposal. And from you, that mixtape meant more than just friendship. Why are you fighting this so hard?”

“Because it’s not like that, Sam. We’re friends. Or, we were, until I made the dumbest drunk mistake of my life.” Dean chugged his coffee and grabbed his duffel. “Come on. We’ve gotta go.” It had been two weeks since New Year’s Eve. Two weeks of completely avoiding the conversation he knew he needed to have with Cas. They still hung out. They still had their sparring sessions on Wednesdays and they still shared pie and coffee at the diner afterward. Nothing felt any different, but there was a tension that couldn’t be ignored anymore. But school was starting back up again in two weeks and he had a lot to do, so he couldn’t deal with it at the moment. Cas hadn’t said anything, so neither had he.

The drive back to school was quiet except for the radio, but Dean could feel Sam staring at him. He stubbornly kept his eyes forward, choosing to focus on the music instead. Once he had parked Baby in the garage, he grabbed his bag and headed for his office without giving Sam a second look. He dropped into his desk chair and took out his laptop. He had a backlog of emails he needed to go through, schedules he needed to finalize, and a million other things he didn’t even want to deal with. Adam had left for a hunt last week and Dean was still waiting to hear from him.

Dean stared at his computer for an hour before he gave up. He couldn’t focus on anything. Every time he blinked all he saw were blue eyes and dark hair and it was driving him crazy. He got up and went outside. He had just lit his cigarette when the door opened. He looked up and his eyes locked on Cas’s. He smiled on reflex.

“Hey, Cas.”

“Hello, Dean.” Cas leaned against the wall and lit a cigarette. The tension was back. Dean could feel it in every inch of his body. He breathed out some smoke.

“Cas, I wanted to apologize for New Years.” Cas frowned.

“Why? We were both drunk. We did something stupid. It’s fine, Dean.”

“Are you sure? I crossed a line and I don’t want you to feel like you have to keep being my friend.” Cas tilted his head and laughed.

“Dean, it’s really fine. We’re good.” Dean relaxed a little at Cas’s genuine smile.

“Okay. Thanks. By the way, we got a huge response to your angel lore class. I managed to fit everyone into five classes, but if it’s too much, I can cut back.” Cas’s eyes lit up and something tugged in Dean’s chest.

“No, that’s great! I was worried no one would be interested. I’ll make it work.”

“Awesome. Oh, and I staggered our classes so you can still help me with weapons and combat training, if you want. It seemed like you were having fun and you’re good at it.”

“I’d like that. Thank you.”

“No problem.” They lapsed into silence and Dean felt the knot of anxiety that had been plaguing him for two weeks finally unravel. Nothing had changed. Nothing was weird. They were fine, and that was good. They finished their cigarettes and went back inside. School didn’t start for another two weeks, but some of the year-rounders were wandering the halls. Dean was walking past what he could only describe as a make-out spot when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He stopped and turned to look. Claire had Kaia cornered against the wall. Whatever they were talking about was making Kaia laugh. Dean smirked to himself before he said,

“Hey!” Both girls jumped. “Get a room, you two.” “Asshole!” Claire yelled and Dean laughed.

“Come on. There’s plenty of empty classrooms. Or just go back to your dorm.” Claire stuck her tongue out at him as Kaia pulled her down the hall. Dean shook his head fondly. He remembered being that age. First love was something special and he wasn’t going to tell his kids how to live their lives. He just didn’t need them making out in the hallways. That didn’t seem like too much to ask. He walked into his office and sat in his chair. Now that he’d cleared the air with Cas, he felt better. He was able to focus. He took out his phone and shot Adam a text.

**Dean [12:23pm]:** Hey just checking in. Let me know you’re alive when you can. 

He set his phone on his desk and scrolled through his email. Most of them were from students and staff asking about schedules. He sent out a mass email saying that schedules would be emailed out by the end of the day. Then he tackled actually finalizing the schedules. Everything was basically done, but there were some minor things he had to tweak and he was silently praying that there wouldn’t be too many people who needed stuff rearranged. He liked to be accommodating to everyone, but there was really only so much he could do. He left his office again three hours later in search of food. Benny was in the kitchen flipping burgers.

“Hey, brotha.”

“Hey, Benny. Can you put an egg on mine?” Benny sighed dramatically.

“I guess.” Dean grinned.

“Thanks, man.” He took his burger and went into the teachers’ lounge.

“There he is!” Charlie said, hopping down from the table. Dean groaned.

“Oh, God. What did I do?”

“Um, have you already forgotten about New Years?” Meg asked. Dean froze. Of course. He should’ve known. He set his plate down on the table.

“Don’t. Cas and I already talked about it. We both agreed it was a stupid, drunk mistake. We’re still friends.” Charlie punched his arm.

“Stop being stupid, Winchester.”

“Ow. I’m not being stupid. Where is all this coming from, anyway? Since when am I not allowed to have friends?”

“No one’s saying you can’t have friends, Dean,” Kevin said.

“But the way you two are isn’t friends,” Garth added. Something tightened in Dean’s chest. He forced himself to swallow and steeled his face.

“We’re dropping this subject right now, forever, or I’m leaving.” He stared everyone down, waiting for someone to challenge him.

“Fine,” Charlie finally said. “Fine.”


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting at 1am because I thought I had the day off from work, but I don't and I don't wanna forget. Enjoy!

* * *

Castiel tipped his head back against the wall and tried to catch his breath. He closed his eyes for a second and the next thing he knew, he felt the cold steel of a blade against his neck. He opened his eyes slowly and saw Dean grinning wildly. He was breathing hard, too, but that wasn’t out of the ordinary. He pressed closer and whispered,

“I win,” directly into Castiel’s ear. Castiel choked on the breath he’d been trying to catch.

Dean was doing that on purpose. He had to be.

“Lucky shot,” he finally managed to say. Dean was still in his personal space, their bodies almost completely pressed together. Dean smirked.

“Sure, Cas.” He pulled the knife away and gently patted Castiel’s cheek before heading over to the fridge. Castiel was still trying to get his breathing completely under control when Dean tossed a bottle of water at him. He caught it and downed half of it before he pulled it away from his lips. He was licking a stray drop from his bottom lip when he noticed Dean staring. He held eye contact. That was becoming a more frequent thing with them. The eye contact. Over the last couple weeks, ever since school started back up, they would find any excuse to look at each other, and whenever they made eye contact, it took someone physically touching one of them to break it. It was weird, but Castiel didn’t mind it so much. Dean’s phone started ringing, breaking the trance.

“I’m going t hit the showers,” Castiel said.

“I’ll meet you there.” Dean pulled his phone out of his pocket and Castiel heard him say, “Hey, Adam, what’s up?” before the door closed.

Castiel ran the water ice cold and tried to calm his body down. Dean _had_ to be doing it on purpose. Or maybe Castiel was just reading too much into his actions. Either way, he left every single one of their sparring sessions and Dean’s classes painfully hard. He’d never taken so many cold showers in his life. He was coming down from a much-needed release when he heard the door to the shower room open.

“Cas, you alive?”

“Haha, very funny.”

“Just thought I’d check. You were breathing kinda hard last time I saw you.” Castiel could hear the teasing grin in Dean’s voice and he rolled his eyes.

“Keep talking and I’ll come over there and kick your ass.”

“Big talk coming from a guy covered in bubbles,” Dean’s voice said right next to him.

Castiel jumped and Dean laughed. Castiel glared.

“You’re an asshole.”

“Guilty.” The water in the shower stall next to him turned on. “I’ll be done in five. I left you some clothes on the counter.”

“Thank you.” Castiel rinsed off quickly and wrapped a towel around himself before stepping out of the shower. He had grown accustomed to wearing Dean’s clothes on Wednesdays. He always made sure they were washed and returned by the end of the week. He also ignored the looks he got from Gabriel and Balthazar when he came home in clothes that weren’t his. They could see it however they wanted. Dean was just being nice. Dean was always nice. Castiel was smoking a cigarette next to Dean’s car when Dean came outside. He grinned.

“You look good in my clothes.”

“Yeah, I bet you say that to everyone.” Dean shrugged.

“Maybe.” He looked up at the sky. “It’s nice out. You wanna walk?”

“Sure.” They did that sometimes. When it was nice out, Dean would leave his car and they would walk to the diner, talking about nothing or not talking at all. Castiel liked those days the best. He was glad he and Dean were still comfortable around each other. Dean still talked to him about everything and still teased him just like always. He was glad that their stupid, drunk mistake hadn’t changed things between them. Not in a way that was noticeable, anyway.

There was still tension there sometimes. He could feel it, and was pretty sure Dean could feel it, too, but they never talked about it. They just got past it. Castiel wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, and he didn’t have anyone he could ask, so he just left it alone. They got their usual table by the window and Jody brought them their coffees and a slice of pie. Cherry today. Dean attacked it with the fork while Castiel watched with a small smile. Dean looked at pie the same way a small child might and Castiel honestly found it endearing.

“Cas, you want some of this?” Castiel blinked and realized Dean was holding the fork out to him. He leaned forward and took the bite, making sure to clean the fork with his tongue before he released it. He licked some of the cherry filling from his lips. “So, how’s angel lore going?”

“Great! Everyone seems really interested. I had them all write down the names of the angels they knew and the ones they want to know more about. A lot of them were the same, so I was able to throw in some of my favorites. Including the one Gabriel says I’m named after.”

“I _knew_ you were named after an angel!”

“I don’t _know_ if I was, but there’s this angel named Cassiel. The Angel of Thursday. I was born on a Thursday and what little I know of my parents, they were very religious. So it makes sense.” Dean nodded.

“Hey, maybe that’s why Gabe calls you Cassie.” Castiel considered that.

“Maybe. Anyway, I think I’m going to enjoy this class even more than I thought I would.” Dean grinned.

“That’s great! It’s good when you enjoy your job.” Dean offered him the last bite of pie.

Castiel was cleaning the fork when Jody came back over.

“Can I get you boys anything else?”

“Some more coffee and another slice of pie would be awesome,” Dean said. Jody walked away and Castiel looked at Dean. He shrugged. “I ate more of that pie than you did. Figured I should make it even.”

“Oh. You didn’t have to do that. I know you love your pie.”

“I do,” Dean said wistfully. “Ya know, you’ve never told me your favorite food.”

“I don’t really have one. Although, I do like honey quite a bit. I find bees fascinating.” Dean shuddered.

“Nope. I don’t like things that buzz.”

“You’ve killed unimaginably evil creatures and you’re scared of bees?”

“I’m not _scared_ of them. I just don’t like them.” Castiel laughed.

“Okay, Dean.” Jody set their second slice of pie on the table and refilled their coffee mugs.

“Enjoy, boys.”

“Thanks, Jody.” Castiel picked up the fork and dug in. He was three bites in when he caught

Dean’s longing expression. He rolled his eyes, chuckled, and slid the pie over. “Go ahead.”

“I—.”

“Yes, you do. I can see it. Go ahead, I don’t mind.”

“You’re awesome, Cas.”

“You’re incorrigible, Dean.”


	29. Chapter 29

Dean looked around at the red, pink, and white confetti all over the hallways. He shook his head. He wanted to blame the kids, but he knew Charlie had come back after he crashed in the dorms and thrown it everywhere. She loved Valentine’s Day. Dean was impartial. He wasn’t against it, but when he didn’t have anyone to celebrate it with, he kind of just didn’t see the point. Still, he made sure every single students’ desk had a small bag of chocolates on it. He was leaning back in his chair, waiting for his class to show up, when the door opened.

“Hello, Dean. I see you’re getting into the holiday spirit.” Dean looked down at his usual jeans and band t-shirt and grinned.

“What can I say? I stick to my style.” He looked up. “Nice tie.”

“Gabriel wouldn’t let me leave the house.”

“Ah. Well, you’re colorful.”

“Thank you. I think.” Cas looked around. “So, where’s my candy?”

“You’re not a student.”

“No, but I might as well be your TA. I think I deserve something.”

“Well, the best I can offer you is dinner.” The words came out of Dean’s mouth before he could stop them. That was weird. He knew it was weird. They got lunch sometimes on the weekends and they shared pie at the diner on Wednesdays and they hung out with everyone on Fridays, but they’d never gone to dinner. It felt like he was crossing a line again. Cas smiled.

“I’ll take dinner.”

“Cool. Roadhouse at seven?”

“Sure. I’ll meet you there.”

“Awesome.” Before an awkward silence could settle over them, the door opened and the kids started coming in. Claire walked in, looked at the desks, and rolled her eyes.

“What are we, in kindergarten?” Dean shrugged.

“If you don’t want it, I’ll give it to Cas.” Claire picked up the bag off her desk and tucked it into her backpack without a word. Dean smirked. Claire acted all tough, but she had a good heart.

His class went by fairly smoothly. The only thing worth mentioning was Cas’s ridiculous tie.

The kids left and Dean grabbed a broom to sweep up the stray bits of confetti.

“Not a fan of small, flying paper?” Cas asked from where he was leaning against the door.

“Not especially, no.” Dean dumped the confetti into the trash can. “I don’t mind it when I don’t have to clean it up. It’s better to get it after every class than let it build up and have to spend thirty minutes trying to get it all.”

“Fair point. I was wondering if you wanted to sit in on my next class? I know you’re not a fan of angels, but I think you might find it interesting.” Dean smiled.

“Sure, Cas. I’ve got nothing to do anyway.” Honestly, Dean had been thinking on and off about ducking into one of Cas’s angel lore classes just to see what it was all about. He just wasn’t sure if that was weird. When Cas stopped by his classes it was to help. He would just be going in to watch.

“Cool. Guess I’ll see you in ten minutes then.” Cas walked out the door and Dean definitely _did not_ watch him leave. He made sure his classroom was in order, then flicked off the light and headed to the kitchen for a snack. Benny was pulling a pie out of the oven.

“It’s like you know I’m coming.” Dean picked up a plate and a fork. “I know it’s still hot, but I’ve gotta go. I’ll risk the tongue burns.” Benny rolled his eyes, but cut a generous slice and dumped it unceremoniously on his plate. “Thanks, man. See ya.” He ducked out of the kitchen and made it to Cas’s class only one minute late. He was surprised when he walked in and the entire class was already there. Cas looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

“If you plan on sitting in on my class, Mr. Winchester, I expect you to be on time. And I hope that pie is for me, because I don’t allow food in my classroom.” Dean was so stunned he actually couldn’t speak for a minute.

“Uh…yeah. Here. Sorry I’m late. Won’t happen again.”

“I should hope not,” Cas said as Dean handed over the plate. He didn’t know why he did it. He was Cas’s boss. He had the authority here. So why was he practically helpless to do anything other than listen to Cas’s every word? He took the only empty seat at the back of the class and leaned back in the chair, trying to process what had just happened. Either he was seriously off his game today, or he had a serious professor kink. He decided to chalk this up to an off day and settled in to listen to Cas.

By the end of the hour, Dean was rock hard and trying to sit absolutely still so he didn’t draw attention to himself. Cas ended the class then said,

“Mr. Winchester, I’d like to speak with you for a moment.” Dean swallowed hard. This was ridiculous. He was Dean fucking Winchester. _He_ made _other_ _people_ speechless. He forced himself to stand up and walked over to the desk. Cas waited until the kids had left, then closed the door. He walked back over to the desk and opened the top drawer. He pulled out the piece of pie he had confiscated when Dean walked in. “Thought you might want this back.” Dean was so happy to see his pie that he moved without thinking. He grabbed Cas and hugged him.

“Thank you.” Cas hugged back, then chuckled.

“You got a little…problem there, Dean?” Dean couldn’t even pretend he wasn’t blushing, but he wasn’t about to let Cas win this time.

“I wouldn’t call it little,” he said with a smirk that turned Cas’s cheeks a light shade of pink.

“Give me my pie.”

“Mm. I don’t know. Now I’m thinking I want to eat it.” Dean narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t. You. Dare. Novak.” Cas grinned and picked up Dean’s fork. “I will kill you. You think I’m kidding.” Cas rolled his eyes and scooped up some pie with the fork. He held it out and Dean smiled. He leaned forward and took the bite. The fork was halfway out of his mouth when someone cleared their throat.

“Um…am I interrupting something?” Meg asked.

“Yes,” Dean said. “You’re interrupting me eating my pie.” He snatched the plate from Cas and sat on the desk.

“How can I help you, Meg?” Cas asked. Meg looked back and forth between them for a moment.

“Just wanted to see if you wanted to go out with us tonight. Sort of a late Valentine’s Day thing since everyone was busy yesterday.”

“Oh. I’d like to, Meg, but I actually already have plans with Gabe and Balthazar. Sorry.”

“Oh. All right. What about you, Winchester?”

“Sorry, I’ve got plans with my couch and my TV.” Meg rolled her eyes while Cas tried to stifle his laugh.

“You’re boring. Bye.” She left and Dean looked at Cas.

“You can go if you want. I can take a rain check on dinner.”

“No, I think I’d rather spend time with you.” Dean smiled.

“Cool.” He hopped off the desk. “See ya tonight.”


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a cute, fluffy, not-date!

* * *

“Where are you going?” Gabriel asked from the couch.

“Out,” Castiel answered, tucking his keys into his pocket and grabbing his jacket.

“With?”

“Myself.” Gabriel furrowed his brow.

“Why are you wearing Dean’s shirt?” Castiel looked down. Shit. He hadn’t even noticed, but he was already late. Oh well.

“Didn’t notice. I’ll be home in a few hours.”

“Say hi to Dean for me,” Gabriel said with a teasing smile.

“Bye, Gabriel.” Castiel opened the door and started the walk to the diner. They had decided it was probably safer there since everyone else was going out. If their friends found out they lied about being busy so they could spend time together, they’d never hear the end of it. Castiel could handle a little teasing every now and then, but it was starting to get out of hand. He and Dean could barely stand next to each other without someone saying something. Castiel was trying not to let it bother him. It didn’t seem to bother Dean.

Dean was already there when he walked into the diner. He was sitting at their usual table, sipping coffee and staring out the window. Castiel let himself stare for a minute. Dean wasn’t wearing anything different. A pair of jeans with a few rips in them and one of his many band t-shirts, but he looked different somehow. Something twisted in Castiel’s chest. He crossed the room and sat in the chair opposite Dean. Dean met his eyes and smiled softly.

“Hey, Cas.” He furrowed his brow a little. “Is that my shirt?”

“Yes, sorry. I didn’t notice until Gabe pointed it out and I was already running late. I’ll give it back tomorrow.” Dean shook his head.

“Keep it. I’ve got plenty.”

“Oh. Thank you.”

“So, burgers?”

“For the love of God, Dean, eat a salad for once! It won’t kill you!”

“The day I eat a salad is the day you better perform a fucking exorcism on me.”

“Hey, boys,” Jody said. “Late Valentine’s Day dinner?”

“Something like that,” Castiel said. Jody smiled.

“What can I get for you?”

“Two bacon cheeseburgers, double bacon, add an egg to mine, and definitely a couple slices of pie.”

“Coming right up.” She walked away and came back a moment later with some coffee. Castiel stirred some sugar into his.

“It’s nice outside,” Dean commented and Castiel looked up. Dean was staring out the window again.

“It is.”

“Wanna go to the park?” Castiel blinked.

“I mean, sure.” Dean smiled.

“Cool.” He waved Jody over. “Can we get that to go?”

“Sure, hon.”

“Are we going on a picnic?” Castiel asked.

“I guess we are.” Jody dropped off the to-go boxes. “Come on, angel.” The park wasn’t a far walk and fifteen minutes later they were sitting against a tree by the lake. It was a little chilly out, but Castiel hardly noticed. He and Dean were pressed shoulder to shoulder, watching the water in comfortable silence while they ate. They shared their pie the same way they always did, only, without the table between them, it felt different. They were closer and Dean was definitely teasing him. Castiel played into it, dragging his lips across the plastic fork a little slower than usual.

By the time they finished the second slice, they were practically breathing the same air, and Castiel was twitching against his jeans. His eyes flicked down to Dean’s lips. He swallowed thickly and licked his lips slowly. He wanted to lean in. He wanted to close the little bit of distance between them and taste the cherry on Dean’s lips. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, not even himself, but he hadn’t stopped thinking about that kiss since it happened. Not really. It wasn’t like he was thinking about it every second of every day, but it was always there in the back of his mind, taunting him.

They had both agreed it was a drunken mistake, and it was, but a part of him couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like to kiss Dean completely sober. He wanted to lean in, but he knew he couldn’t. That would be crossing a line he had sworn to himself that he would never cross. He wouldn’t get involved with a coworker, and certainly not with someone who was technically his boss. So he didn’t move, but he didn’t break their eye contact either. Dean looked like he was trying to tell him something without saying anything, but whatever it was, Castiel wasn’t getting it. The moment was broken by Castiel’s phone ringing. He sighed and pulled it out of his pocket.

“Yes, Gabriel?”

“How’s your date going?”

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

“What?” Dean asked. Castiel put his phone on speaker.

“Gabe, you’re on speaker. What the fuck is wrong with you?” “Ooh! Hi, Dean! How’s your date?” Dean laughed.

“Gabe, it’s not a date, we’re just eating burgers. If that’s a date then I’ve dated all my friends. And my brother. That’s weird.”

“Stop talking,” Castiel said. Dean clamped his mouth shut. “Gabe, if you think I’m on a date, why did you call me? I told you I’d be home in a few hours.”

“Can you stop by the store and get me some candy?” Dean laughed and Castiel shoved him.

“What are you, five? Get it yourself.”

“ _Cassie_ !” Gabriel whined. “You’re already out. Come on. Help me out.”

“You’re a sugar junkie, Gabriel. I’ll be home soon.”

“With my candy?” Castiel rolled his eyes.

“Yes. Goodbye.”

“Bye. Bye Dean!” Castiel hung up and put his phone back in his pocket.

“I’m actually going to kill him.” Dean was still laughing.

“Come on, man, it’s kinda funny.” He lit a cigarette and passed over his lighter. Castiel lit his own and exhaled. “Do you wanna go for a walk, or do just want me to walk you home?”

“Oh, I plan on dragging this out,” Castiel said, gesturing between the two of them. “He can fucking wait.” Dean grinned.

“Awesome.”

They spent the next two hours walking by the lake. They didn’t say much, but that was normal and it was one of the things Castiel liked about spending time with Dean. They didn’t need to talk. They stopped at the store and picked up a bunch of leftover Valentine’s Day candy that was 75% off, then walked to his apartment.

“I had fun,” Castiel said outside his door.

“I did, too. I like hanging out with you.” Dean leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Cas.” He turned and walked down the hall, leaving Castiel with an ache in his chest and a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the unusually late update. I had to work all day. Hope you all enjoy!

**Cas [4:10am]:** Any chance you’re awake?

 **Dean [4:11am]:** Always. What’s up?

 **Cas [4:12am]:** Can’t sleep. Gabe and Balt are gonna be the death of me. 

**Dean [4:13am]:** Wanna come over? Sam’s with Eileen tonight so I’m by myself.

**Cas [4:13am]:** Sure. See you in 15.

Dean had been sitting on the couch when he got the first text. Now, he was pacing the living room, jumping at every little noise. He wanted to see Cas, but he also wasn’t sure how it would go. It had been a week since they had dinner. A week since he had impulsively kissed Cas’s cheek when he dropped him off. Cas hadn’t said anything about it during their sparring session on Wednesday, but that didn’t mean anything.

Dean wasn’t sure what had possessed him to do it. The whole night had felt like a dream. He had been thankful that Sam had still been out when he got home. He had spent the rest of the night holed up in his room, trying to wrap his brain around everything that had happened. Every time he’d closed his eyes, all he’d been able to see were blue eyes and dark hair. The soft smiles. The way Cas’s lips had wrapped around the fork. The way his throat had moved when he swallowed. Dean hadn’t gotten any sleep that night.

A knock on the door startled Dean out of his head. He moved to answer it and realized he was half hard in his sweatpants. He groaned. Great. Just what he fucking needed. He shook his head and opened the door. Cas was standing there in a pair of worn in, blue plaid pajama pants and the t-shirt Dean had told him to keep. His hair was more of a disaster than normal and Dean was actively resisting the urge to run his fingers through it.

“Hello, Dean.”

“Hey, Cas. Do you just live in that shirt now, or what?” Cas chewed his bottom lip and looked down, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

“It’s soft.” Dean laughed.

“Yeah, they’re all soft. That’s why I buy ‘em.” He stepped back and let Cas in. “So, can’t sleep, huh?”

“Dean, I might actually kill them,” Cas said, dropping onto the couch. “No one needs to be making that much noise when they have sex. I’m sorry, it’s just not necessary.” Dean laughed again.

“I take it you’re not much of a screamer then?” Cas smirked.

“I didn’t say that. But no one needs to be _that_ loud. I shouldn’t be able to hear them when I’m in the hallway or out on the balcony.” Dean winced.

“Yeah, all right. That’s excessive.” He settled on the couch next to him and picked up the remote. “You wanna watch something?”

“Sure. Do you have anything to drink?”

“Beer and I think Sam’s got a bottle of wine around here somewhere.”

“I’ll take wine if you have it,” Cas said. Dean nodded. He handed the remote to Cas and went into the kitchen. It took a few minutes of searching, but he finally found the bottle of wine Sam had hidden and grabbed two glasses. When we walked back into the living room, Cas was curled up against the arm of the couch with his legs tucked beneath him. He was scrolling absently through Dean’s Netflix list. Dean smiled.

“Find anything you like?” he asked, sitting at the opposite end of the couch.

“No, but you’re Netflix list is a very good reflection of your personality.” Dean grinned as he handed Cas one of the glasses.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He filled his own glass and set the bottle on the coffee table. He grabbed the remote. “How do you feel about comedians?”

“Depends on the jokes,” Cas said.

“Understandable.” He clicked on one of his favorite Netflix specials. “Give it a shot. He’s funny.”

“I trust your judgment, Dean.” Cas sipped his wine and smiled a little. They watched the hour-long special, laughing the entire time, then stepped outside for a cigarette. They were halfway through the bottle of wine and Dean’s head was feeling a little fuzzy. Cas was leaning against the railing of the balcony, staring out over the city. Dean stood beside him, maybe a little closer than necessary.

“I like the view from here,” Dean said, exhaling some smoke. Cas turned his head a little to smile at him.

“Me, too. Sometimes, when Gabe and Balt are on hunts, I’ll just stand outside and watch the world go by. It’s nice. I like that I can absorb the chaos without being a part of it.”

“I noticed that. You don’t seem to like parties all that much.”

“I don’t. I like spending time with my friends and I do enjoy going to the bar on Fridays with everyone, but sometimes it’s just too much. It’s too loud.” Cas smiled a little more. “I appreciate that you sit with me sometimes, when I don’t feel like being around a lot of people.” Dean smiled back.

“I understand. I was definitely a partier when I was younger, just ask Sam, but I can appreciate a quiet night every now and then now. Especially with running the school. Kids are loud and full of life and they’re just so _much_. I love it, but when I get home, sometimes I just wanna sit and relax.”

“I can’t tell you how nice it is to hear someone my age say that,” Cas said. “Gabe and Balthazar are always getting on me for not being fun. I think we just have different ideas of fun. They get their fun from loud music and crowded bars and anonymous sex. I get my fun from a glass of wine and good company. And the occasional documentary.” Dean groaned.

“I was right there with you until you said documentary. I used to watch them with Sam and I was always bored out of my skull.”

“Then why did you watch them?” Dean shrugged.

“Sam wanted to. He’s always been interested in science and conspiracy theories and stuff. He’s got this weird fascination with serial killers, too. So whenever Dad was on a hunt and would leave us alone, I’d watch the discovery channel with him. Or some special on famous killers. He always looked so excited and he would ramble for hours about different things.” Dean shrugged again. “I always liked seeing that look on his face and I figured being bored for a few hours was worth it.” He and Cas were facing each other now and Cas’s eyes had gone soft. Dean shifted a little. “What?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever met someone as kind-hearted as you, Dean. There are people who are good siblings and then there’s the way you raised your brother. You didn’t have to do that, but you did. You took it upon yourself to make sure Sam was cared for and that he was supported, even if his interests were a little strange. You’re a genuinely good person, Dean, and that’s hard to find, especially in a hunter.” Dean felt his cheeks flash hot. He wasn’t used to people giving him compliments on anything outside of his looks.

“Thanks, Cas.” Cas moved a little closer, his hand resting on Dean’s shoulder.

“I mean it, Dean. I get the feeling people don’t tell you that enough.”

“No one’s ever told me that before, but it’s fine. I don’t need people to tell me I did a good job with Sam. I know I did.”

“You should still be recognized for it. The way you are with your brother and your friends and your students is a huge, and very important, part of who you are. You deserve to be told how incredible you are. You—.”

Whatever else Cas had planned on saying was cut off when Dean closed the remaining space between them and pressed their lips together.


	32. Chapter 32

“I need to talk to you and I need you to be serious for once,” Castiel said. He had been up all night, trying to decide if talking to Gabriel would be worth the ‘I told you so’. He had to talk to _someone_ though. He had left Dean’s apartment pretty quickly after that kiss. Twenty-four hours later, he was still thinking about it. It was all he was thinking about. The way Dean’s lips had moved against his. The way Dean’s tongue had brushed over his. The way Dean’s fingers had tangled in his hair. It made him feel hot all over and it made his chest tight with something he wasn’t ready to face.

“When am I ever not serious?” Gabriel asked with a grin. Castiel glared at him. He held up his hands. “Okay, okay. What’s going on?”

“Dean kissed me last night.” He waited for the gloating to start, but Gabriel just stared at him.

“What?”

“Dean kissed me last night. You two were being loud, so I went over to Dean’s. I guess we both had a little too much to drink, and he kissed me.”

“Okay. That’s great, Cas!”

“No, it’s not. We agreed that we’re friends. I don’t know what to do about this.”

“Well, I know you don’t want my actual opinion, so I guess just act like it’s fine. That’s what you did last time.” That was true, but last time was different. Last time hadn’t woken up something in him. Last time was just a stupid, drunk mistake. This time…

“It’s not the same, Gabe.”

“Why not?” Gabriel was going to make him say it, and honestly, he probably should. Maybe it would take some of the weight off of him.

“Because I like him. I didn’t realize it until last night and now…God, this is a nightmare. He doesn’t date coworkers and I really don’t think it’s a good idea to get involved with my boss. I don’t know what to do.” Gabriel gave him a look that actually came off as sympathetic.

“Why don’t you tell me what happened? All of it.”

“There’s not much to tell. We were drinking wine and talking on his balcony. I said something and Dean went off on a tangent about Sam and I just…he’s so _good_ , Gabe. The way he is with Sam and his students and the rest of our friends. I like him. A lot. And I don’t know what to do about it.” Gabriel sighed.

“You two are gonna dance around this until you’re dead, aren’t you? I get that you’re scared or nervous or whatever, but Cas, just talk to him. I can guarantee that he feels the same way.”

“No, you can’t. I don’t want to risk ruining our friendship because I have a little crush.”

“Then why are we even talking about this?”

“Because I needed to tell someone and you only ever see Dean when we’re all together, so I can smack you if you start to say anything.” Gabriel laughed.

“I promise I won’t say anything. Believe it or not, I do care about you, Cassie. I want you to be happy and you seem happy with Dean.” Castiel smiled.

“I am. Even if all he can offer me is friendship.” That was true. Castiel wanted Dean in his life, in whatever way Dean was comfortable with. He could handle his crush. It wasn’t a big deal. It was fine. “Thank you for letting me get that out.”

“Sure thing, Cassie. So what are you gonna do tomorrow?”

“I guess I’ll wait and see if he says anything. That’s all I really can do. I just hope we can move past this.” That’s what Castiel was really worried about. That Dean wouldn’t be able to get past it and they wouldn’t be able to stay friends. He didn’t want to lose Dean, but he also didn’t want Dean to be uncomfortable around him. He wanted everything to stay the way it was.

Castiel didn’t get any sleep that night. He laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about Dean. They couldn’t be anything more than friends. There were too many variables and if they broke up things would be weird for everyone. Castiel couldn’t do that to his other friends. He wondered, though. The physical attraction had always been there and he couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to be with Dean. Just once. He couldn’t go down that road, though. There was always a price to pay for just sex and he wasn’t willing to pay it. Not with Dean.

Castiel groaned when he felt a twitch in his boxers. He knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Dean. That kiss had been electric. Even with the alcohol in his system, it was easily the best kiss Castiel had ever experienced. He wanted to do it again. He wanted it to last longer and he wanted to kiss Dean deeper. He wanted to kiss him breathless. He wanted to take him apart. He wanted to hear him panting and begging beneath him. He could only imagine the litany of curses that would come out of Dean’s mouth. Castiel palmed himself through his boxers.

He bit his lip. It wasn’t like he hadn’t gotten off to images of Dean before, but it was always after one of their sparring sessions when they were both sweaty and exhausted and hard. He wasn’t going to pretend he hadn’t noticed that Dean left their sessions just as turned on as he was, but he didn’t see the point in pointing it out. This was different, though. This felt more intimate somehow. He knew he shouldn’t, but he didn’t want to stop. He reached into the drawer of his nightstand and pulled out a bottle of lube.

*** *** ***

Castiel didn’t see Dean for most of the day, which wasn’t out of the ordinary, but a weight had settled in his chest and it was making the day drag. It felt like years before Castiel found himself outside Dean’s classroom door. He knew he had about ten minutes before the class showed up. He opened the door and walked in. Dean was in the middle of a boxing match with one of the punching dummies. Castiel took a minute to admire Dean’s form before he said, “Hello, Dean.” Dean jumped and turned around, sweaty and panting.

“Hey, Cas. Sorry, didn’t hear you came in.”

“Clearly. What did that dummy do to you?” Dean chuckled breathlessly.

“Nothing. Just taking out some frustration.” He took a long drink from a bottle of water. “I guess we should do this now. I’m sorry about the other night. I wasn’t thinking clearly. You were being so nice to me and I just—.” Castiel waved him off with a smile.

“It’s fine, Dean, really. We were both drunk. Maybe we just shouldn’t drink when we’re alone.”

“Maybe. Doesn’t seem to ever lead anywhere good, does it?” That was debatable, but Castiel nodded his agreement. “Okay, then. We’re cool?”

“Always, Dean. What are you teaching today?”


	33. Chapter 33

Dean had to tell someone. He _had_ to. But he couldn’t. There was no one to tell that wouldn’t immediately start teasing him for it, and he needed to have a serious conversation. This was bad. It was very, very bad. He never should’ve kissed Cas. It had been almost a month and nothing was different between them, but Dean absolutely could _not_ stop thinking about it. It was killing him. He had to tell _someone_. Sam, he decided, was probably his best bet. He’d tease him, but at least Sam knew when to keep his mouth shut.

“Hey, Sam, you got a second?” Dean asked from the doorway to his brother’s office. Sam looked up from his desk.

“Yeah, what’s up?” Dean closed and locked the door. No interruptions. No one overhearing him. Sam sat up a little straighter. “Is everything okay?”

“It’s fine,” Dean said, dropping into one of the chairs. “I’m gonna tell you something and I need you to take this seriously. I also need you to swear on Mom’s grave that you won’t breathe a word of this to anyone.”

“Dean, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”

“I kissed Cas.” Sam blinked.

“You mean on New Years, or, like, again?”

“Again. About a month ago. You were with Eileen and neither one of us could sleep so I invited him over. We were on the balcony, talking and drinking wine—.”

“I _knew_ you took it!”

“Yeah, and I’ll replace it. Not the point right now. Anyway, we were drinking and talking and I don’t really remember what we were talking about, but I started rambling about you and your super weird serial killer fetish—.”

“It’s not a _fetish_ , Dean! It’s a hobby.”

“Sure, okay. Still not my point. Cas started talking about how I’m a good person and he told me that he’s never met someone like me and…he was just being really nice, Sam, and I was drunk and I just…I kissed him.”

“Did he kiss you back?”

“Yes.” Sam grinned.

“Dude, that’s great!”

“How is that great? We chalked it up to another drunk mistake, and agreed we probably shouldn’t drink when we’re alone, and nothing feels any different, but…God, Sam, this can’t keep happening.” Dean rested his elbows on his knees and put his head in his hands.

“Dean, I’m gonna say this and you’re gonna listen. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you like him? I know you don’t want to get involved with someone you work with after what happened with Bela, but Cas isn’t Bela. It seems like he genuinely cares about you. Why won’t you at least think about it?”

“Because I can’t put him in that position, Sam. I don’t want him to think that he _has_ to date me if I ask. I am technically his boss, and I don’t want him to think I’ll fire him if he says no. Or that I’ll fire him if we break up. I don’t want to put him in a position where he feels he doesn’t have a choice.”

“Dean, anyone who knows you knows that you would never do that. Talk to him. I can pretty much guarantee that he feels the same way.”

“And what if he doesn’t, Sam? If I ask him out and he’s not interested, it might make things too uncomfortable for him. We could lose him as a teacher. I could lose him as a friend. I can't do that. I just can’t. He’s too important to me.” Dean sighed and looked at his brother. Sam was, surprisingly, not being annoying about this.

“Dean, I can’t help you. You have to figure this out on your own. All I can tell you is that you seem really happy with him and I’d hate for you to miss out on something that could be really great.”

“All right. Thanks, Sammy.”

“I’m gonna put a bullet in you the next time you call me that,” Sam said as Dean unlocked the door. He flashed a smile over his shoulder.

“You love me, Sammy,” he said before sprinting down the hall. He was only a little sure Sam wouldn’t follow through on his threat, and he didn’t want to take any chances. He wasn’t watching where he was going and ended up slamming into someone. They ended up on the floor, Dean completely on top of whoever he’d run into. He shook his head and opened his eyes, only to find himself face to face with Cas.

“Well, hello, Dean.”

“Uh, hi. Shit. Sorry. Are you okay?”

“I mean, I’ve been better, but I’ve also been taken down a lot harder.” His eyes had that familiar playful spark in them that Dean had come to enjoy.

“Bite me, Novak.”

“Careful what you ask for, Winchester. Might get more than bargained for.” Lust coiled deep in Dean’s stomach and a low growl escaped his throat. Cas smirked and moved his leg just the right way, causing Dean’s hips to stutter forward.

“Shit, Cas.” He grabbed a fistful of Cas’s hair and forced his head back. He wanted to lean down and kiss him. He wanted to rip into him right there in the middle of the hallway. He knew he couldn’t, and _shouldn’t_ , but the look in Cas’s eyes told him that his advance might not be unwelcome. Before he could do anything, a voice said,

“So I can’t make out with my girlfriend in the hall, but you two can just have sex wherever the fuck you want?” Dean looked up to see Claire glaring at them.

“Okay, one, language, and B, I ran into him. I wasn’t paying attention and, well, here we are.” Dean got to his feet and held out his hand to Cas. He pulled Cas up then turned to Claire. “Don’t you have a class to get to?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Claire rolled her eyes. “Get a room you two,” she said as she walked away.

“Sorry,” Dean said to Cas. “I should pay attention.”

“You also shouldn’t run in the halls,” Cas pointed out. “What were you running from?”

“Oh, I was messing with Sam and he said he’d shoot me. I wasn’t sure if he was serious or not, so I got in one more jab then bolted.” Cas chuckled and patted his cheek.

“You’re something else, Winchester. I’ll see you later for sparring?”

“Definitely.”

“All right then. See you later, Dean.” Cas walked away and Dean bit his lip, trying to get his body back under control. He was so completely screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to apologize for not responding to comments like I normally do. I think my jobs are conspiring to kill me. I haven't had a day off in a month. I am very tired. But I am reading all of them and they all make me smile. I love you guys. 💕💕💕💕


	34. Chapter 34

Castiel had Dean pinned to the floor. Dean was completely out of breath and he was sweating, but he was still grinning like he hadn’t just gotten his ass kicked.

“What are you grinning about? I won.”

“For now,” Dean smirked. Dean’s free hand came up and grabbed the back of Castiel’s neck, pulling him forward so their mouths were barely an inch apart. Castiel swallowed hard. He wanted to close that distance. Just a taste. Something to fuel his fantasies for the next couple months. Dean was still smirking at him, like he was daring him to make a move. Castiel still had a knife against Dean’s throat, but he didn’t seem too concerned about it. Dean’s tongue dragged over his lips and Castiel decided he was done being toyed with. He was about to close the distance when Dean’s shin connected with his abdomen. It caught him so off guard that Dean rolled them easily, knocking the knife out of Castiel’s hand as they went. Dean put his hand on Castiel’s neck, his thumb pressing against his windpipe a little.

“That was a dirty move, Winchester,” Castiel said.

“Never let your guard down, Novak. That’s rule number one. Your enemy will always find your weakness and use it against you. And I could feel your _weakness_ digging into my thigh.” The wink that followed that sentence sent a flash of heat through Castiel’s body. Good thing he was already sweaty. He bucked his hips, trying to shake Dean off him.

“Get off me.”

“Say it,” Dean said, pressing his thumb down a little harder. Castiel bucked his hips again and he saw Dean’s eyes darken a little.

“Make me.” Dean bit his lip and Castiel thought for a second that he had him. Dean leaned down.

“Don’t test me, Novak,” he growled in Castiel’s ear. Castiel forced himself to swallow. God, he really wanted to. He wanted to see how far he could push this. Dean didn’t look like he was in any hurry to get off him. He opened his mouth to snark back, but was interrupted by his phone ringing. He sighed and Dean hung his head for a minute.

“You should probably get that. I’ll meet you in the showers.” Dean got off him and Castiel got to his feet. He took his phone out of his pocket.

“Yes, Gabriel?”

“Are you and Dean done sparring yet?”

“Well, we are now.”

“Oh, sorry, did I interrupt?”

“Why do I get the feeling you _knew_ you were interrupting? What do you want, Gabe?”

“Wanna get dinner tonight?”

“You couldn’t just ask me that when I got home?”

“No, because you’re never home at the same time. Do you wanna get dinner or not?”

“Can I get back to you on that? I’m kind of covered in sweat here. I’d like to take a shower.

We can talk when I get home. It’ll be, like, two hours.”

“Fine. Have fun with Dean.” Gabriel hung up before Castiel could snap at him for the tone in his voice. Gabriel had been good and hadn’t told anyone about their conversation, not even Balthazar, but he still felt the need to tease Castiel at every opportunity. Castiel made his way to the shower room. Dean was already in the shower, singing a Kansas song.

“You know, if the whole teacher thing hadn’t worked out, at least you could’ve had a solid career to fall back on,” Castiel said, smirking when Dean jumped.

“Jesus Christ, don’t do that!” Castiel laughed.

“Payback’s a bitch.” He turned on the water and stepped into the shower stall to Dean’s left.

Dean poked his head over the wall.

“Keep it up and I’m gonna choke you out for real.”

“Hit me with your best shot, Winchester.” For second, Castiel thought Dean might actually climb over the wall and choke him. Instead, Dean smirked and went back to showering. Castiel frowned for a minute before he looked down and realized he was still hard as a rock. He felt the blush creeping up his face. He showered quickly, trying not to get lost in Dean’s whiskey-warm singing voice. He waited until Dean had finished and left the bathroom before he rubbed one out. He felt dirty for it, but he needed a release. He shut off the water and stepped out. Dean had left him a change of clothes, just like always. He dried off and put them on. He was towel drying his hair as best he could when the door opened again.

“What did Gabe want?”

“Asked if I wanted to get dinner later.”

“What did you say?”

“I told him I’d talk to him when I got home. I really wanted to take a shower.” Castiel finished drying his hair and threw the towel into the wash bin. “Coffee?”

“Do you even have to ask?”

“Guess not.”

“Good. Come on.” They walked outside together and lit cigarettes. “Wanna walk today?”

“You ask me that every week, Dean. If you want to walk, we can walk. You don’t have to ask.”

“Okay.” They were silent for a few minutes. Castiel didn’t mind it. They were across from each other, Dean leaning against the side of the building and Castiel leaning against a tree. Dean was staring so Castiel stared back. He watched the smoke drift from Dean’s lips. Only Dean could make a bad habit look so damn good. He had his bad-boy aesthetic down cold and Castiel finally understood why. Dean was very soft-hearted and Castiel knew from experience that the world tended to beat up on soft-hearted people. So Dean acted tough. He _was_ tough, but only when it was necessary. He put on a front so people wouldn’t mess with him. So he knew that the people he cared about also cared about him.

“Dean, can I ask you something?”

“Always, Cas.”

“Why did you start smoking?” Dean shrugged a little as he exhaled some smoke.

“Hunting. Me and Sam were working a job and I was tailing a guy. We kinda hit it off at the bar and he asked if I smoked. I needed to keep an eye on him, so I said yes. Things just kinda snowballed from there. I tried to keep Sam from picking up the habit, but,” he shrugged again, “little brothers never really listen. So now we both smoke. Adam doesn’t, thank God. What about you?”

“Honest answer? I met a cute guy at a bar and I wanted to go home with him. He asked if I smoked and I wanted him to like me, so I said yes. Gabe was pretty pissed about it when he found out. Said I shouldn’t change who I am to impress someone.”

“Well, he’s not wrong.”

“I know that _now_ , but I was nineteen and I wanted to get laid.” Dean laughed.

“Yeah, all right, I get that. And, hey, now we just have one more thing in common.”

“Point.” Castiel crushed his cigarette under his shoe. “Come on. Jody’s waiting for us.”


	35. Chapter 35

Dean was scrolling through twitter, for lack of anything better to do, when a text popped up from Cas.

**Cas [7:24pm]:** Dinner? Gabe and Balt are annoying me.

Dean smiled to himself. It had become a habit. Whenever Cas’s roommates were being especially annoying, he would come over. He spent the night more often than not, which resulted in plenty of _looks_ from Sam.

**Dean [7:25pm]:** Sam’s out with Eileen. I just ordered Chinese. Come on over.

 **Cas [7:25pm]:** Thank you 

Dean set his phone on the table and pulled out the fresh bottle of wine he’d bought for Sam. Oh well. He could replace it again. It wasn’t like Sam was doing anything with it anyway. He poured two glasses and set them on the coffee table next to the containers of Chinese food. There was a knock at the door five minutes later. He opened it and was greeted with Cas wearing another one of his t-shirts.

“Are you collecting my clothes?”

“Well, you did say I look good in them. And it’s not like you’ve been asking for them back.” That was a point Dean couldn’t argue. He hadn’t even really noticed. He let Cas in and shut the door. Cas was standing in the living room, eyeing the coffee table. “Wine? Is that a good idea?” Dean chuckled.

“I’ll behave myself, I promise. Here.” Dean sat on the couch and piled the decorative pillows Sam had bought in the middle.

“Pillow barrier?”

“Yeah. Come on.” Cas didn’t argue and sat on the other side of the pillow wall. He picked up the glass closest to him and took a sip.

“So, what are we watching tonight?”

“Well, you said you liked documentaries, but you never really said what they were about. I found one on bees. You said you like bees, right?” Dean looked away from the TV and realized Cas was staring at him. It wasn’t the way they normally stared at each other, though. It was softer. There was something in Cas’s eyes that Dean decided he was misreading. “What?”

“Dean, we don’t have to watch a documentary just because I said I like them. I know you find them boring.”

“So? I know you don’t really like my Westerns, but you still watch them with me. It’s only fair, right?” Cas swallowed a massive gulp of wine.

“I won’t argue if you’re sure, but we really don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Dean waved him off and started the program. He hated documentaries, he really did, but Cas had been more than indulgent with him. It was time he returned the favor. And the wine helped.

The Chinese food was long gone, they were almost through the bottle of wine, and halfway through the two-hour program when Dean realized they were both leaning against the pillow pile between them, arms pressed together. He finished the wine in his glass and reached for the bottle. He poured half into his glass and emptied the rest into Cas’s. Cas smiled, but didn’t take his eyes off the TV. He was as excited about bees as Dean was about his Westerns and Dean decided he could sit through these once in a while if it meant he got to see that look on Cas’s face.

“Hey, do mind if I step out for a smoke?” That got Cas’s attention.

“I’ll come with you.” Dean paused the TV and they stepped out onto the balcony. “We can stop watching it if you’re bored.” Dean smiled softly.

“I’m not bored, Cas. I promise.” He really wasn’t. It was actually interesting. Bees were cooler than he thought. He still didn’t like them very much, but they were cool. And Cas was happy.

“Are you sure?”

“Angel, I swear. It’s actually pretty cool.” Cas beamed at him. Dean took a drag from his cigarette, trying to ignore the way the smoke curled from Cas’s lips. It shouldn’t look so good. He had his own cigarette, but a part of him really wanted to close the space between them and tell Cas to shotgun it. He sucked the end of his cigarette a little harder than necessary, trying to calm himself down. He was supposed to behave himself. He’d promised, and Dean Winchester was nothing if not a man of his word. Maybe wine hadn’t been a good idea. Oh well. Too late now.

They went back inside and Dean shoved the pillows to the floor. Cas didn’t say anything and sat beside Dean, letting his head fall to Dean’s shoulder. Dean swallowed hard and resumed the documentary, forcing himself to focus on the smooth voice of the narrator instead of the intense scent of Cas’s watermelon shampoo.

By the time the second hour was over, Dean’s arm was around Cas’s shoulders, his hand resting against the side of Cas’s ass. Cas’s hand was on Dean’s thigh, dangerously close to his slowly hardening dick. God, he needed to get a grip.

“Anything else you’re interested in?” Dean asked before he realized how that must have sounded.

“I can think of a few things,” Cas said. He caught Dean’s eye and smirked. Dean forced himself to swallow, but it got caught in his throat and he choked.

“Care to share?” Cas leaned closer, his breath ghosting over Dean’s ear.

“Well, I’ve always been fascinated with pistols.” Dean couldn’t tell if he was serious, or not. His brain was fuzzy with alcohol and arousal. God, why did Cas have to be so hot? He could handle this if it were anyone else, but there were too many variables for this to work, and he really wasn’t interested in casual sex with Cas. That wouldn’t be fair to either of them. He had to put a stop to this before they did something stupid. Again.

“Gunslinger movie it is,” he said with a weak chuckle. He was losing his grip on reality. For once in his life, he was actually hoping someone would walk in and interrupt the moment before it got to be too much. Cas only smirked at him.

“All right. I’ll be right back.” He got up and headed in the direction of the bathroom. Dean took a deep inhale and tried to steady his breathing. He was hot all over, his skin prickling with arousal. He needed a release, but Cas was in the bathroom and he could come back any second.

Dean stared at the TV and silently willed himself to get a fucking grip.


	36. Chapter 36

Castiel leaned against the bathroom sink and tried to catch his breath. Dean was teasing him. And he was teasing right back. He knew drinking together was a bad idea and he should’ve known Dean wouldn’t behave himself. Even if he’d had every intention, alcohol lower inhibitions and heightened sex drive. They were venturing into dangerous territory. It didn’t help that Dean was being overly nice. He’d just sat through a two-hour bee documentary because Castiel mentioned he liked bees. It was a level of kindness Castiel wasn’t used to and it was only fueling his growing crush.

 _Get ahold of yourself, Novak._ He splashed some cold water on his face, took a deep breath, and steeled himself before walking back into the living room. Dean had a gunslinger movie cued up, but he wasn’t in the room. Cas looked around and caught a glimpse of sandy hair out on the balcony. He was about to go out and join Dean when he heard Dean say,

“I can’t, Sam. …Because I just can’t. …Shut the fuck up. …Thank you so much for your continued support, bitch.” Castiel sat on the couch. Whatever Dean and Sam were talking about was pissing Dean off. It was two more minutes before Dean came back inside. “Hey. Sorry. Sam was being a little bitch. Little brothers are like that.”

“Everything okay?” Castiel asked. Dean smiled, but he looked tired.

“Everything’s fine, Cas. You want some ice cream?”

“Sure.” Dean disappeared into the kitchen. He came back a few minutes later with two bowls of ice cream. He handed one to Castiel before situating himself on the couch. He turned on the movie and sighed happily. Castiel couldn’t help watching as Dean dug into his ice cream. The way his mouth wrapped around the spoon. The quiet little sighs of pleasure every now and then. It was intoxicating. Castiel had made a vow to himself that he couldn’t jerk off in Dean’s bathroom, but he was starting to think he wasn’t going to make it.

“Uh, movie’s over there, Cas,” Dean said and Castiel realized he had been staring for too long. He pulled his eyes away and forced him to look at the screen, quickly eating his own ice cream before it melted. He heard Dean chuckle.

“Something funny, Winchester?”

“You’re cute when you’re flustered.” Castiel raised an eyebrow.

“Flustered? You think _this_ is flustered? Look in a mirror after our next sparring session.” Dean’s smirk shifted into a glare.

“Bite me, Novak.”

“You keep asking me to do that,” Castiel noted. “Careful, or I just might give you what you want.” He knew he shouldn’t say it, but the words left his lips before he could stop them. He saw Dean swallow his last bite of ice cream with way too much effort and grinned. He did like that he could get under Dean’s skin so easily. It was fun. Castiel lifted his spoon to his mouth and made a show of licking the ice cream off it. He was baiting Dean and they both knew it. It was a bad idea, but he really wanted to see how far he could push it. How far could he go before Dean either did something stupid or told him to leave?

“Cas.” Dean’s voice barely above a whisper. Castiel looked back over and realized Dean had moved closer, invading his personal space. He finished his ice cream.

“Yes, Dean?”

“You can stay, if you want,” Dean said. “I mean, if you don’t wanna go home, you can crash in the guest room.” Castiel blinked. He’d never asked to stay before and Dean never offered. If he spent the night, it was purely because he’d accidentally fallen asleep on the couch.

“Um. Okay. Thank you, Dean.” Dean nodded, but he didn’t move. Castiel did. He moved closer and rested his head on Dean’s shoulder again. Dean’s arm wrapped around him and he sighed quietly. Maybe it was wrong to indulge in something so intimate when he was harboring an ever-growing crush, but Dean didn’t seem to mind it, so Castiel was going to indulge. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he groaned. He shifted just enough to take it out. He looked at the screen.

**Gabriel [10:01pm]:** Are you coming home from your date soon?

 **Castiel [10:01pm]:** It’s not a date and no. Why?

 **Gabriel [10:02pm]:** Just checking. Have fun ;)

Castiel put his phone on silent and tossed it onto the coffee table, sufficiently annoyed now.

Dean’s fingertips brushed against his arm.

“Gabe bothering you?”

“Always and forever,” Castiel muttered.

“Don’t let him ruin this,” Dean said and Castiel was pretty sure he felt him press a kiss into his hair. “We’re having fun.” They were having fun and Castiel desperately wanted to say something. He wanted to tell Dean what he was feeling, but he was too terrified of the consequences. He could lose Dean and he didn’t want that. So he stayed quiet and let the sounds from the TV lull him to sleep.

*** *** ***

Castiel woke up on the couch the next morning acutely aware that he wasn’t alone. He opened his eyes and blinked away the sleep. He was laying on top of Dean, his head pillowed on Dean’s chest. Dean was sound asleep, a small smile on his face. Whatever he was dreaming about was making him happy. Castiel wanted to get up, but he wasn’t sure he could do that without waking him up. He was contemplating going back to sleep when he heard a door open down the hall. He panicked for a moment, but they had fallen asleep before Sam got home, which meant the younger Winchester had already seen them in what could easily be described as a compromising position. Castiel opted to just close his eyes and pretend he was asleep.

He heard Sam walk down the hall. The footsteps stopped in the entryway to the living room. He heard Sam chuckle quietly, fondly, before the front door opened. The sun was barely up, which meant it was probably around five or six in the morning. Sam had probably gone for his morning run. Castiel opened his eyes again and reached for the remote on the floor. He clicked the TV on and clicked on the comedian Dean had said was his favorite. Jeff Dunham. Castiel didn’t mind him. The puppets were funny. He was trying to contain his laughter when Dean woke up. He blinked slowly, then smiled softly.

“Morning, angel. You make a great blanket.” Castiel smiled back.

“Well, you make a great pillow.” Dean’s fingers tangled in Castiel’s hair.

“You want breakfast?”

“Sure. Sam left for his run about thirty minutes ago.”

“He should be back by the time I’m done.” Dean’s eyes trailed the length of Castiel’s body. “You gonna let me up or am I gonna have to push you onto the floor.”

“Mm. I’m getting up, I’m getting up. Sorry, you’re warm.” Castiel pushed himself into a kneeling position. Dean sat up, running his hand through his hair in a failed attempt to tame it. Castiel’s hair probably looked worse. “I’m going to go shower.”

“Knock yourself out. I’ll have breakfast done in thirty.”

“Thank you, Dean. And I am sorry I fell asleep on you.” Dean waved him off.

“I would’ve pushed you off if I’d minded it.” Castiel smiled a little as Dean headed for the kitchen. He watched for a minute before heading into the bathroom.


	37. Chapter 37

* * *

“Dean, you’re basically already dating him,” Sam said. Two weeks had gone by since he and Cas had fallen asleep on the couch and Dean was going out of his mind. He couldn’t deny his feelings anymore, but he couldn’t act on them. He knew he couldn’t. He couldn’t risk their friendship over some stupid little crush.

“We’re friends, Sam.” Sam rolled his eyes so hard Dean was worried they might actually get stuck.

“Dean. I saw you two. That wasn’t “just friends” and I’m really tired of trying to explain this to you. Talk to him. He feels the same way.”

“You can’t know that for sure.” Dean was adamant about that. Sam couldn’t say with one hundred percent certainty that Cas liked him as anything more than a friend. Maybe a casual fuck buddy if they were both willing to risk it, but Dean wasn’t and he was pretty sure Cas wasn’t either. And it didn’t matter that that night on his couch had been the best sleep Dean had gotten in a while. He couldn’t ask Cas to give him anything more than what he was already taking.

“I’m seriously gonna shoot you. You’re not this stupid, Dean.”

“I’m not being stupid. I’m doing what’s best for both of us. A little playful banter once in a while is harmless. Anything else is a recipe for disaster and you know it.” Sam frowned.

“Why do I feel like this isn’t just about what Bela did to you?” Because it wasn’t. Cas wasn’t Bela. Cas would never be Bela. He was kind and sensitive and he made Dean feel like he was worth something. Bela never did that. Bela was a mistake he would never let go of because he should’ve known what would happen. He should’ve seen it coming. This wasn’t about Bela anymore, or his rule about not dating coworkers. This was about Cas and the millions of things that could go wrong because Dean was…well, Dean. If they stayed friends, there was less of a

chance he could ruin things. There was less of a chance he would lose Cas completely.

“Can we drop this?” Everyone else had dropped it after New Years, just liked he’d asked. He was sure they probably still talked about it behind his back, but at least he didn’t have to hear it. His students were starting to become a problem, though. They’d gotten their second teacher evaluations before Spring Break, and he’d gotten the same comments as last time. The only difference was, he had been able to put names to the anonymous comments based on behavior. Claire, Kaia, Jack, Ben, Krissy, Aidan, Josephine, and Alex seemed to be the ones pushing it. He would have a talk with each of them when they all got back from vacation.

Dean didn’t like Spring Break as much as Winter Break. Spring Break was only a week. It wasn’t enough time for him to do anything, really. It was only the second day of break and he wanted to go back. He just wanted the school year to be over, which never happened. He usually got nostalgic around the end of the year. He got gifts for all the seniors who would be leaving to live their lives, and he would tell all the kids who weren’t year-rounders to make sure they took care of themselves while they were gone. Now, he just wanted to be done so he could have a few months to himself.

“Dean, I’m trying to help you.”

“No, you’re not. You’re trying to make my friendship with Cas something that it’s not and it’s pissing me off.”

“It’s pissing you off because you know I’m right.”

“Sam, please.” Dean was only a few more gentle words from breaking. He just wanted to leave it alone. “Just…please.” Sam seemed to get the message because he dropped it, but Dean could still feel his little brother’s eyes on him. That was almost worse. He got off the couch and grabbed a light jacket.

“Where are you going?”

“Out. I need some air.” He stormed out of the apartment, his anger taking the wheel for a few minutes. He was mostly angry with himself. He knew his feelings for Cas weren’t mutual, and yet he was letting himself indulge in the little moments. The way Cas’s hair felt under his fingers. The smell of his shampoo. The little smile that never quite left his face when he was starting to fall asleep. His phone buzzed in his pocket. It was probably Sam, but he checked in anyway. He had two messages.

**Sam [2:31pm]:** Sorry. I was really just trying to help. I won’t bring it up again. I promise. 

Dean snorted. Sam could say that all he wanted, but he knew his meddlesome little brother was just getting started. He checked the second message.

**Cas [2:31pm]:** Hi. I am going to commit murder. Please tell me you have bail money. 

Dean laughed at that. Gabriel and Balthazar were probably getting on his nerves again. Dean didn’t mind Cas’s roommates so much, but he didn’t have to live with them. He responded.

**Dean [2:32pm]:** Sorry, kinda short on cash. I’m at the park if you wanna hang out. Needed some air.

 **Cas [2:32pm]:** I’ll be there.

Dean was about to put his phone back in his pocket when it buzzed again.

**Charlie [2:33pm]:** Hey handmaiden, you busy?

 **Dean [2:33pm]:** Depends. Why?

 **Charlie [2:34pm]:** Been a while. Thought we could grab lunch or something. I miss you. 

Dean chewed his lip. He wanted to see Charlie, but he couldn’t stand Cas up and he couldn’t ask Charlie if Cas could tag along. That was a recipe for trouble.

**Dean [2:34pm]:** Miss you too kiddo. Kinda miss everyone. How about we make it a group thing?

 **Charlie [2:35pn]:** Awesome!

Dean opened the group chat he had going with their usual group. Adam had gotten back from another hunt a couple days ago so he was probably dying to go out.

**Dean [2:37pm]:** Hey, everyone up for a late lunch in like an hour? Kinda miss you guys. 

**Charlie [2:37pm]:** I’m in!

 **Meg [2:37pm]:** I could use a drink

 **Adam [2:38pm]:** Always!

 **Garth [2:38pm]:** I’ll try to get a sitter. Miss you guys too.

 **Kevin [2:39pm]:** Yeah what the hell

 **Sam [2:39pm]:** Guess this means you’re done being pissed at me. I’m in. 

**Adam [2:40pm]:** Why was Dean mad?

 **Charlie [2:40pm]:** We need the story!

 **Dean [2:40pm]:** Just stupid brother shit it’s not important

 **Cas [2:41pm]:** I'm in

 **Meg [2:41pm]:** Of course you are Clarence 😉

 **Dean [2:42pm]:** Keep it up and you’re gonna be uninvited. That goes for all of you (Sam)

 **Meg [2:43pm]:** 🙄 Jeez can’t take a fucking joke

 **Charlie [2:43pm]:** Ooh drama!

Dean put his phone back in his pocket before he got roped into defending himself. Then he remembered. He texted Cas.

**Dean [2:45pm]:** Still meet me at the park please

 **Cas [2:45pm]:** Already almost there

Thank God. Dean needed someone sensible to talk to before he saw the train wreck that was his friend group. He loved them, but Cas was his voice of reason, and he needed that first. He sat on a bench and waited.


	38. Chapter 38

“Touch my fries one more time, see what happens.” Dean moved his plate out of reach. Castiel rolled his eyes.

“You’re so possessive, Winchester.”

“If you want some, get your own.”

“Why? This is so much more fun.” He reached into Dean’s personal space and stole some more fries, knowing Dean wouldn’t actually do anything.

“Can you two be normal?” Meg asked.

“Leave them alone, Meg,” Adam said.

“It’s cute,” Charlie added. Dean snapped his attention to her and Castiel stole another fry.

“I am _not_ cute.”

“You’re right,” Charlie amended, “You’re adorable.” Everyone at the table burst out laughing and Dean’s cheeks turned bright red.

“All right, come on, guys,” Jo said, dropping off a round of drinks. “Leave him alone. You know he’s sensitive.”

“You just lost your tip,” Dean muttered into his glass. Jo rolled her eyes and walked away.

“So, anyone else feel like this year went by way too fast?” Kevin asked.

“I know,” Eileen said. “It feels like just yesterday was the first day of school.”

“It feels like just yesterday these two were threatening to kill each other,” Sam said, nodding at Dean and Castiel. Castiel smiled.

“That was yesterday, Sam.”

“That would stop happening if you would stop stealing my food!” Dean made his point by smacking Castiel’s hand away. “For the love of God, dude. Get your own!”

“Why can’t you just share?”

“I don’t share food!” Castiel bit back his laugh. Dean didn’t share food with anyone but him, and he didn’t share food with him around other people because he knew someone would say something. Dean flagged Jo down. “Can you bring him some fries before I break his hand?” Jo smirked, but left and came back two minutes later with a plate of fries.

“Here. Play nice, Dean.” Dean casually gave her the finger over his shoulder, his attention focused on the plate in front of them. Castiel sighed.

“I’m gonna have to fight you over these, aren’t I?” Before Dean could reply or either one of them could move, Sam reached over and took the plate.

“You’re both children.” He pushed some of the fries onto Dean’s plate then passed the plate back to Castiel. “There. Both of you quit it.” Castiel didn’t miss the look exchanged between Dean and Sam. Apparently neither did Charlie because she said,

“Hey, you guys still owe us a story.”

“Nothing happened,” Dean said, instantly defensive. “We had a fight. We’re brothers. We do that. We’re fine. Right, Sammy?” Dean’s smile was painfully fake and Castiel was starting to wonder what had actually happened. But if Dean didn’t want to talk about it, then he wasn’t going to push.

“We’re fine,” Sam agreed, but he didn’t look or sound like it was fine. A tense silence fell over the table. Dean pushed his chair back without a word and went outside. Castiel sighed and looked at Sam. He nodded so Castiel followed Dean outside.

“Are you okay?” he asked. Dean nodded and breathed out some smoke.

“Just stupid brother stuff. We’ll work it out when we get home. It’s not something I wanna talk about in front of everyone else, and Sam knows that.”

“Okay.” Castiel lit his own cigarette. “Do you wanna go back in there?” Dean was quiet for a minute.

“Yeah. I wanna spend time with my friends. I just wish it didn’t turn into an interrogation every single time.” Castiel nodded. He understood that. He moved a little closer so their shoulders were touching. Dean leaned into it and Castiel smiled a little. He had his crush mostly under control, but he still liked to find physical contact where he could. Dean didn’t seem to mind.

*** *** ***

By the time the last day of Spring Break rolled around, Castiel was back to feeling like he was drowning. He’s spent almost every day with Dean and it was slowly killing him. He felt like he had to say something, but he couldn’t.

“How about after school lets out for the year?” Gabriel said. “Wait and see if you get the four-year contract, then talk to him. Once you sign the contract, you're protected from retaliation.

Unless you break the rules, you can’t be fired.” Castiel furrowed his brow.

“How do you know?”

“I took the liberty of asking…someone if I could look at their contract. Just to see if there was anything in the fine print. There isn’t, I checked. They cover their teachers pretty good. I guess they don’t wanna lose ‘em.”

“Who did you ask?”

“Doesn’t matter. The point is, you should talk to him over the summer.”

“No, Gabe. Even if he can’t fire me, he could still make those four-years a living hell if we have a bad breakup. And I don’t want to risk our friendship. I really like him.” Gabriel groaned and flopped back against the couch.

“ _Cas_! Why are you like this? Are you _trying_ to kill me?”

“You don’t understand, Gabe. You don’t get deep feelings. I can’t risk losing him. I just can’t.” Castiel’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out.

**Dean [7:38pm]:** Dinner tomorrow night? Got something I wanna run by you. 

Castiel frowned. That was weird. Other than that one time, the day after Valentine’s Day, he and Dean had never gotten dinner before. They ate Chinese food on Dean’s couch more often than not, but they didn’t go out to dinner.

“What’s up?” Gabriel asked, sitting up a little.

“Dean just asked me to dinner tomorrow night. He says he has something to run by me. I don’t know what that means.”

“Maybe it’s about the contract.” Of course. That made sense.

“Since when did you become the rational one?”

“Since you went and fell in love,” Gabriel said with a grin.

“I’m not in love. I have a crush on him.”

“Whatever, Cas.”

“Do you think I’ll get the contract?”

“Everyone seems to really like you, and you said that your teacher evaluations were good. Aside from the ones who told you to ask Dean out.”

“Yeah, I need to have a talk with my students tomorrow about that.”

“Why? They’re right.”

“It’s none of their business and they need to understand that my personal life is none of their concern.” Gabriel rolled his eyes.

“You gonna answer him?” Oh. Right.

**Castiel [7:51pm]:** Sure


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Wednesday y'all. Really enjoying be snowed (actually more like iced) in. Praying both my jobs with closed for ya know safety reasons. In the meantime, please enjoy some drama!

Dean sat at his desk, seething. He was actually seething. All he could see was red. He wanted to put his fist through the wall. He didn’t even know to be the angriest at. At the moment, he just wanted to scream. He stared at the folder on his desk. He had woken up in a good mood this morning. He was finally going to have a real conversation with Cas. And whichever way it went, he was going to offer him a full-time position at the school. Now, Cas was one of the last people he wanted to see. He was about to get up and go take his anger out on one of the punching dummies in the training room when Charlie came bouncing into his office.

“Morning, Dean!”

“Get out,” he growled. Her smile faded.

“What?”

“Get out of my office. Now.”

“What happened?” God, where to fucking start. He was too angry to form any more words, so he just threw the folder at her. Inside, was everything. The pictures, the posts, the long conversations with strangers on the internet. He watched her open it and saw her face go from confused to shocked before settling on guilty.

“Dean, I—.”

“What? You’re sorry? I was never supposed to see it? What do you think you can say that could ever make this okay? You’re one of my best friends. How the fuck could you do this?”

“Dean, we just—.”

“I want names. I want the names of every single person who was involved with this. And I want you out of my office. Now.” Charlie dropped the folder back on Dean’s desk and walked out of his office. It looked like she might be crying, but he honestly didn’t care. Every single person he had trusted. Every single person he had considered a friend. His brothers. He sent out an email to his kids, telling them classes had been canceled for the day, then typed out a resignation letter. He printed it, signed it, and left it on his desk. Then he grabbed his laptop bag and the folder and stormed out the door.

Going off on Charlie hadn’t helped. He was still mad. He was beyond mad. He felt betrayed. He was betrayed. His personal life and his personal relationships were his business. Not something to be plastered on the internet for everyone to analyze. He was almost to Baby when he felt a hand on his arm.

“Dean, what the hell is going on?” Sam. “I just ran into Charlie. She was crying and apologizing. What happened?” Dean didn’t think. He turned around and his fist connected with his brother’s jaw. Sam stumbled backwards.

“I told you that stuff in confidence! You swore you wouldn’t tell anyone! And then you turned around and put it on the internet!?” Sam stared at him for a moment before his eyes widened a little.

“How did you—?”

“It doesn’t fucking matter how I found it, Sam!”

“Dean, we’re sorry. It was just a place for us to vent. You wouldn’t listen to us.” Dean blinked.

“I’m sorry? _You_ needed a place to vent about _my_ relationship? A relationship that was none of your fucking business in the first place? I don’t have to explain to you how massive of a breach of privacy that is. And as if that’s not bad enough, you posted those pictures without our consent. I didn’t know anyone had taken them! Do you not see how fucked up that is?” Dean unlocked Baby. “I’m going home. I’ll be gone by the time the day’s over. Don’t try to find me. I’m done.” He didn’t wait for Sam to say anything. He started the engine and tore out of the garage.

He really didn’t want to go home just yet. He stopped at the park and sat on a bench, angrily smoking a cigarette. His phone was blowing up in his pocket, but he was ignoring it. He was smoking his second cigarette when a warm voice said,

“Sam said you went home, but I figured you’d stop here first.” Dean looked up. Cas was smiling, but he looked worried.

“You should be in class.”

“So should you.” Cas sat next to him on the bench. “What happened?” Dean was silent so Cas reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded-up piece of paper. “I stopped by your office to see if we were still on for dinner and I found this on your desk. What happened?” Dean still didn’t say anything, but he motioned for Cas to follow. He reached into the backseat and pulled the folder out of his bag. He handed it over.

“They were my friends, Cas. My brothers. They took something that was private, something _I_ was still trying to figure out, and they put in on the internet for everyone to see and analyze.” Dean broke. The anger had been replaced with a pain so strong he could hardly breathe. He started to cry. Cas tossed the folder into Baby and pulled him into a hug.

“I understand why you’re upset, Dean,” he said softly. “It was an invasion of privacy. I understand that you feel betrayed by the people you trusted. But I don’t think quitting is the answer.” Cas pulled back and wiped some of Dean’s tears away with the pads of his thumbs. “Let’s go back to your apartment and talk about this, okay?” Dean nodded. He didn’t fight when Cas took the keys from him. He wasn’t in any condition to drive. Cas led him upstairs and sat him on the couch. He went into the kitchen and came back with a glass of water.

“Thanks, Cas.”

“Dean, you can’t quit. I know you’re hurt, but the kids need you. Who else is going to teach them weapons and combat training?”

“You,” Dean said. “That’s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about at dinner tonight. I was gonna offer you a full-time position.” Dean looked at Cas. “Please say yes? They’re gonna need you.” Cas reached out and gently cupped Dean’s cheek. Dean leaned into the touch.

“You can’t quit. You can take a break because you look like you need it. Maybe take the rest of the year off, but you can’t quit.”

“How can I work with them, Cas? How can I ever trust them again?”

“We’ll work through it, okay? First, you need to get to a place where you’re willing to listen to them. Let them explain. You might not like what they have to say, but you need to hear it.” Dean nodded.

“Okay.”

“Okay. I’m going to go because you’re right, I do have to be in class, but I’ll be back later.” Cas went to stand up and Dean grabbed his wrist.

“Wait. Don’t leave.” He took a deep breath. All his plans for tonight were out the window, so he might as well do this now. “There was something else I wanted to talk to you about.” Cas sat back down. Dean stared at him for a minute. He couldn’t find the words. There weren’t words. After everything had happened in the last couple hours, he didn’t know what to say. Instead, he leaned forward and pressed their lips together.


	40. Chapter 40

“Go out with me,” Dean said when he broke the kiss. Castiel stared at him, too shocked to say anything. “Shit. That didn’t come out right. Will you go out with me? You don’t have to say yes. And please know that your answer won’t have any bearing on your contract. I promise. And if you say no, we can still be friends. I just really like you and I’d really like to go out with you and I—.”

“Dean,” Castiel said gently, touching his finger to Dean’s lips, “you’re rambling. I’d like to go out with you. I like you too.” Dean closed his eyes and Castiel felt his sigh of relief.

“Oh, thank God. I was worried this would be really awkward.” Castiel laughed.

“I don’t think that’s possible with us. Can I kiss you again?”

“God, yes.” Castiel moved closer on the couch and brushed his lips against Dean’s. It was the first time he’d felt Dean relax since he’d seen him at the park. Castiel was mad about what had happened, too. Their friends had no right to invade their privacy like that. But he was willing to hear them out. He was willing to talk to them. And he would. As soon as he was done tasting every inch of Dean’s mouth. It was better than he’d imagined. It was better than any of their other kisses, because this time it was on purpose. No alcohol. Just them, kissing each other because they wanted to.

Castiel opened his mouth and felt Dean’s tongue brush against his. He sighed into the kiss, his hands moving into Dean’s hair. Dean’s breath caught a little when Castiel tugged lightly on the short strands. He reminded himself to breathe through his nose. He knew they would have to break apart eventually to breathe properly, but he wasn’t ready for that. Dean’s mouth was soft and warm and he was kissing Castiel like it was the only thing holding him together at the moment. Maybe it was. It was barely noon and Dean had had a rough day.

“We don’t tell anyone,” Dean said when they broke apart to breathe. Castiel frowned.

“Why?”

“Because I wanna make sure this works before we tell everyone. Maybe once school starts back up in the fall.” Castiel smiled.

“Does that mean you’re staying?”

“I don’t know. I’ll stick out this year. I was thinking I’d hit the road this summer. Go hunting. I haven’t done that in a while and I miss it.” Dean paused. “Will you come with me?”

“Maybe,” Castiel said. He’d wanted to get out of hunting. He didn’t like being on the road that much. But maybe it wouldn’t be so bad with Dean. “Let’s just get through the rest of this year, okay?”

“Okay.” Dean chewed his lip. “I’m sorry about earlier. I overreacted. I’m just…I’m so mad. But I made Charlie cry and I punched Sam and that’s not okay.”

“Dean, it’s been a long day for everyone. Talk to Sam when he gets home and talk to Charlie tomorrow. Take it one step at a time. You have a right to be mad. I’m mad about it, too.” Dean snorted.

“Coulda fooled me.”

“Well, one of us had to stay calm and you clearly weren’t going to do that, so,” Castiel shrugged, “I don’t know. I’m mad, but…I guess I get it. I’ll hear them out anyway. Do you know who was involved?”

“I told Charlie I wanted a list. She probably texted it to me. I haven’t looked at my phone since I left.” Dean took his phone out of his pocket. He looked at it for a minute. “Charlie, Meg, Kevin, Garth, Benny, Eileen, Sam, Adam, Jo, Gabriel, Balthazar, Claire, Kaia, Jack, Krissy, Aidan, Josephine, Ben, and Alex.”

“Students, too?” Dean nodded. His eyes were glassy and looked like he might start crying again.

“And that’s only the people she knows. There were so many more, Cas. So many people just…tearing apart everything we are and analyzing it and writing essays worth of things. Some of it was true. Some of it wasn’t. A few people tried to defend us, but…it was just so much. Like, do they not realize that we’re people? I can’t even…and the pictures. Cas, that’s the worst part. I didn’t know they were taking pictures of us. Did you?” Dean’s eyes went wide. “Did you know anything about this? Please tell me you didn’t. Please tell me you weren’t in on this. Please.” Dean’s breathing was starting to come out shallow and panicked. Castiel put his hand on Dean’s shaking ones.

“Breathe, Dean. I didn’t. I swear. I didn’t know until you showed me.” Castiel pulled Dean into a hug. He was less mad about what happened and more mad at how it was affecting Dean. Castiel understood why he was so upset. Dean didn’t trust people lightly. Everything was all or nothing with him and his friends had done the worst possible thing to him.

“I’m sorry, Cas.”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for, Dean. I understand and I’ll help you through this.”

“I don’t know if I can get past this. And that scares me. I love my friends. I love my brothers. But I don’t know if I can ever forgive them for this.”

“One thing at a time, remember? Just get through today. I’ll stay with you if you want. Sam knows I’m with you. He said he’d cover my classes.” Dean nodded slowly.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that.” Castiel smiled softly.

“Okay, good.” He picked the remote up off the coffee table and pressed it into Dean’s hand. “Put on one of your stupid Westerns and I’ll order Chinese.”

“My Westerns are not stupid!” Dean shouted as Castiel walked to the kitchen. He laughed, happy he had finally managed to pull Dean out of his head a little. He ordered Chinese then sat on the couch beside Dean. He smiled when Dean put his arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer. He closed his eyes and rested his head on Dean’s chest. He would talk to Gabriel and Balthazar tomorrow. He would talk to everyone else tomorrow. For right now, he was just going to be there for Dean.


	41. Chapter 41

Sam had asked Cas if they could have a minute alone, but Dean wasn’t having it.

“Anything you have to say to me, you can say to him. It wasn’t just me you hurt.” Sam nodded.

“Okay, that’s fair. First of all, I wanna apologize. And I mean it. I am so sorry. I should’ve put a stop to it as soon as I found out about it. I was just so frustrated. Neither one of you would talk to us, or even listen to us. It was nice to have a place to get my feelings out. None of us expected it to blow up the way it did. We didn’t expect the students to get involved. I should’ve shut it down and I didn’t. You were right, Dean. It was an invasion of your privacy. For both of you.”

“We appreciate your apology, Sam,” Cas said.

“But that doesn’t make it okay,” Dean added before his brother could think he was off the hook.

“I know it doesn’t.” Sam fixed Dean with his famous puppy eyes. “Can you forgive me?” Dean held eye contact. He wasn’t going to give in this time. He couldn’t let this go.

“I don’t know, Sam.” Sam nodded.

“Okay. Well, I was gonna wait to tell you this, but Eileen and I decided to move in together. We were gonna wait until after the school year ended, but…I can have my stuff out by the end of the week. If you want.”

“I think that would be best,” Dean said. He hated it. He hated _this_ . He didn’t want to lose his brother over this, but he just couldn’t be around him at the moment.

“Okay. I really am sorry, Dean. And Cas, I know we haven’t known each other very long so I’m not expecting you to forgive me. Just know that I would like to stay friends, if you think you can do that.”

“Thank you, Sam.” Sam got to his feet and gave Dean one last apologetic look before he walked out the door. Cas put his hand on Dean’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“No, Cas, I’m not.” Dean sighed and turned to face him. “Are you gonna go back to your apartment?”

“I need to speak with Gabriel and Balthazar. I’m expecting them both to beg for forgiveness, but I’m not sure I’m there yet.” Cas tilted his head. “Do you want me to stay here?” Dean smiled a little.

“I’d like that. I think it would be good for us to spend some time away from everyone else. You don’t have to move in, but I’d like it if you stayed here more often. With Sam gone…” Dean choked up. It was too much right now. Cas squeezed his hand.

“Okay. How about this? You try to get some sleep. I’ll go back to my apartment and talk with Gabriel and Balthazar, and then I’ll come back and we can go out to dinner like we were going to. Only it’ll be a real date this time. We can go somewhere nice.” Dean considered that. It sounded nice. After the day he’d had, he really did just want to sleep.

“Yeah, okay.” Cas smiled.

“Good. I’ll be back in a few hours.” He stood up and pressed a kiss to Dean’s forehead. “Try to get some sleep.”

“I will.” Cas was almost to the door when Dean said, “Hey, angel?” Cas turned to look at him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Dean.”

*** *** ***

Dean didn’t sleep. He was exhausted, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw those posts. Those pictures. Every single detail about his relationship with Cas out there on the internet for anyone to see. It made him sick to his stomach. Charlie had texted him and told him she deleted the blog, but that didn’t make any difference. People had probably already taken screenshots. They were never going away. There was a very real chance that he could run into a stranger on the street and they’d recognize him. It terrified him.

Dean laid in bed for an hour and half before he got up and set up camp on the couch. He surrounded himself in pillows, wrapped himself in his favorite blanket, and turned on his favorite movie. He was still sitting there, wallowing in self-pity and trying not to throw up, when the front door opened. He’d forgotten to lock it after Cas left. Cas walked into the living room and smiled sympathetically.

“You didn’t sleep, did you?” Dean shook his head. “Do you wanna go out?” Dean shook his head again. “Okay.” Cas sat on the couch and situated them so Dean’s head was resting on his chest.

“I’m sorry,” Dean whispered into Cas’s shirt.

“Shh. Don’t apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for. You’re allowed to be upset, Dean.” Dean knew that, but he had sprung a lot on Cas today. Including asking him out, and now he was barely able to function. It wasn’t fair to Cas and something like this was exactly what he had been afraid of.

“You can leave if you want,” he said quietly.

“Why would I want to leave?” Dean lifted his head so he could look into Cas’s ridiculously blue eyes.

“Because I asked you out and now I’m not in a place where I wanna leave the house. That’s not fair to you. You can take back your yes, if you want. I won’t be mad.” Cas stared at him for a minute before he chuckled. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to Dean’s lips.

“Dean, when I said yes, I wasn’t expecting you to take me out tonight. You’ve been through something traumatic. You take all the time you need. I’ll be here whenever you’re ready.” Dean swallowed around the lump in his throat. He had cried enough for one day.

“Okay.” He returned his attention to the TV. Cas’s fingers tangled in his hair. He closed his eyes and tried to will the disaster of the day away.

He must’ve fallen asleep, because the next time he opened his eyes he was alone on the couch. He lifted his head just enough to look around. He didn’t see Cas anywhere, but he could smell something coming from the kitchen. Keeping the blanket wrapped around him, he got up and followed the smell. Cas was standing at the stove, watching steaks cook.

“What are you doing?” Cas jumped, then turned and smiled.

“Hey, you’re awake. You seemed pretty out, so I thought I’d make us some dinner.” Dean smiled and walked into the kitchen, placing a gentle kiss to Cas’s lips.

“Thanks, angel.”

“You’re welcome, Dean.”


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter y'all! Sorry for the late update! I meant to do it before I went to work, but I got distracted and then time got away from me.

“Novak, I swear to God if you ate that last slice of pie I am going to kill you!” Castiel rolled his eyes and tipped his head back so his voice would carry to the kitchen.

“It’s on top of the microwave, Winchester!” He heard some banging and a minute later Dean came out of the kitchen with his pie and a fork. “You’re welcome.”

“Stop moving everything!”

“Dean, I moved it two feet. Use your eyes once in a while.” Dean narrowed his eyes, but instead of replying, he just shoved a bite of pie into his mouth. Castiel smiled fondly. They were a month into summer vacation and neither one of them had really left the house except to go grocery shopping. Dean had stuck out the rest of the school year and he seemed to be on better terms with his friends. He was speaking to them again, anyway. Castiel knew it would take time, but he was happy Dean was making progress.

“We should go to the park later,” Dean said around a mouthful of pie.

“I’d like that.”

“We could have a picnic,” Dean continued. “Maybe feed the ducks or something.”

“Dean Winchester, are you asking me out on a date?” Dean grinned.

“I was trying to.” Castiel laughed and kissed his boyfriend’s forehead.

“You’re an idiot.”

“You love me.”

“Yes, I do. Very much. And I’d love to go on a date later.”

“Cool.” Dean scooped some pie onto his fork and held it out. Castiel leaned forward and took the bite. Nothing had really changed between them since they officially became a couple. The only real difference was that Castiel didn’t have to worry about taking things too far anymore. He could tease Dean as much as he wanted without wondering if he had crossed a line. So that’s what he was doing. He watched Dean’s eyes get a little darker as he slowly cleaned the fork with his tongue.

“Problem, Dean?” he asked with a smirk.

“You’re an asshole,” Dean said before grabbing him and pulling him into a rough kiss. They were deep into making out, Castiel straddling Dean’s lap and kissing him into the couch, when there was a knock at the door. They broke apart and Dean sighed. “I guess I should get that.”

“Or not,” Castiel suggested. Dean laughed.

“Come on, angel, let me up.” Castiel sighed, but let Dean get up. He heard the door open and then, “Hey, Sam.” A minute later, Dean came back into the living room with Sam. Castiel smiled.

“Hello, Sam.”

“Hey, Cas.” His students were the first people Dean had been ready to forgive. Sam and Adam were next. He was still working on getting there with his friends, but Castiel knew he’d get there eventually.

“How’s Eileen?” Castiel asked while Dean disappeared into the kitchen. Sam grinned.

“She’s great! We moved in together a little sooner than we planned, but it’s going well. It’s nice to wake up with someone next to me every morning.” Castiel nodded. He and Dean still hadn’t told anyone about their relationship, so he couldn’t agree with the sentiment out loud, but he did agree with it. He liked waking up next to Dean every morning. Or getting breakfast in bed on the mornings when he didn’t. They had a good balance. Dean came back from the kitchen with three beers. He handed one to his brother and sat on the couch.

“So, what brings you here, Sammy?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to go out with us tonight? I understand if you don’t, believe me. It just felt like things were a little better.” Dean looked at Castiel.

“It’s up to you, Dean.” Castiel had forgiven everyone almost a month ago. He and Dean were together and they were happy. That’s all he cared about. But Dean was still dealing with it and he didn’t want to pressure him. Dean sipped his beer before he said, “I think I can be okay with that.” Sam smiled.

“Thank you, Dean. Seriously.”

“I’m reserving the right to leave whenever I want.”

“That’s fine. Everyone will just be happy to see you.” Dean actually smiled at that.

“Yeah, I guess I kinda miss them.”

Sam stayed just long enough to finish his beer then left to go meet Eileen somewhere. Once they were settled on the couch again, Castiel kissed Dean’s temple.

“I’m proud of you, Dean.”

“Yeah?”

“You took a big step.”

“We can still go on our date,” Dean said. “We can stay for an hour or so and then go for a picnic in the park. I’d rather spend time with you.” Castiel smiled.

“You’re very sweet.” Dean hummed his agreement and looked up at him.

“You know, I think we were in the middle of something before Sam interrupted.”

“Is that so?” Dean sat up a little and pulled him into a kiss. Castiel smiled into it. There were still a few things to work out, but there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that they were going to be just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is complete and will be updated on Wednesdays and Sundays


End file.
